Casper Attorney Tries to Talk Game Warden From Citing Casper Man

UPDATE 5/8/2026: Three misdemeanor charges associated with this case were dismissed on October 21, 2022. Identifying information has been redacted.

A Casper attorney and friends on Sunday tried to persuade Wyoming Game and Fish game wardens -- through verbal pleas and offers of sexual favors -- to not cite a Casper man for boating under the influence and other misdemeanors, according to a Natrona County Circuit Court affidavit filed Wednesday.

Wardens Austin Swingholm and Colten Galambas were patrolling Fremont Canyon on Alcova Reservoir at 4:28 p.m. Sunday when they saw Clinton Ide operating a boat and making a significant wake in a "no wake" area of the canyon.

Galambas signaled Ide to slow down and saw another boat passenger stand up and move to the operator's seat, according to the affidavit.

The passenger told Swingholm that they owned the boat and that they were an attorney.

Swingholm did not find registration decals or numbers on the boat. He conducted a safety search of the boat, but the alleged boat owner could not provide life vests for Ide and passengers Maranda Koch, Heather Threlkeld and Mary Bennett.

Swingholm also asked why the passenger switched with Ide. They initially said Ide was not operating the boating, but then said Ide was operating the boat for a short time.

Ide admitted to Swingholm that he had several alcoholic beverages. The claimed boat owner also appeared intoxicated, but since they were not operating the boat at the time, Swingholm said he would not be citing them for boating under the influence.

Swingholm asked the three female passengers if they were sober to operate a boat.

Koch blew a 0.028% which was under the legal 0.08%. Swingholm asked Koch to operate the boat, but she said she had no experience, so he boarded the boat to assist her. The warden saw about eight open beverage containers in the boat.

Koch steered the boat away from the rocks and Swinghom began performing field sobriety tests on Ide.

Swingholm tested Ide for Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus, and he noted a lack smooth pursuit of Ide's eyes, which is an indication of intoxication.

Koch drove the boat out of the canyon with Swingholm's assistance.

The claimed owner asked Swingholm to conduct a breath test on themselves and they blew a 0.138%.

Swingholm called dispatch for help, but no deputies were available to assist.

He then turned on his audio recorder.

"[The alleged boat owner] asked Warden Swingholm several times to not address the potential BUI on Mr. Ide and stated several times that they were an attorney," according to the affidavit. "[The alleged boat owner] whispered to Mr. Ide several times, and Warden Swingholm heard them tell him to not submit to PBT [preliminary breath test] or any testing."

Swingholm noted how the claimed owner and another passenger tried to persuade Swingholm to drop the case. (See transcript from affidavit below.)

Koch, with Swingholm's assistance, maneuvered to the dock where Warden Galambas was waiting.

Swingholm had Ide sit on a rock and read the national and state rules about boating while impaired. The alleged attorney was being distractive, Swingholm told it was in Ide's best interest if they stopped, and they began cell phone videorecording the sobriety tests.

Swingholm again performed the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test, and Ide again failed it, according to the affidavit. "After HGN [the alleged boat owner] stated, 'were gonna take an interference charge if you give him a DUI [sic]'"

Swingholm also had Ide perform a finger-to-nose test, a palm pat test, and a hand coordination test.

Ide flunked all of them.

At 5:54 p.m., Swingholm arrested Ide for operating a watercraft under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Galambas helped the claimed boat owner and the other passengers to load the boat on their trailer.

Swingholm told the alleged boat owner that they would be receiving citations for the boat registration and safety equipment violations.

He then took Ide to the Natrona County Detention Center.

At 6:50 p.m., Ide was asked to submit to a breath test at the jail.

Ide refused.

Swingholm then obtained a search warrant for a blood draw and took Ide to a nurse's station. The nurse tried to draw Ide's blood, but he pulled his arm away and refused. Swingholm told Ide he didn't have a choice in the matter but Ide still refused.

Swingholm then charged Ide with Interference with a peace officer.

Besides Boating Under the Influence and the interference charge, Ide was charged with failure to operate watercraft in accordance with buoys or markers.

On Monday, Ide made his initial appearance via videoconference from the jail with Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Michael Patchen.

Ide, 32, said he worked for Ide Land & Leasing Co., which is owned by Robert Ide, who is running the Republican Party's nomination in Senate District 29. Ide faces incumbent Sen. Drew Perkins.

Ide pleaded not guilty and will be tried by a jury in Circuit Court. Patchen set his bond and $750 and ordered him to undergo drug and alcohol testing.

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On Wednesday, the alleged boat owner referred K2 Radio News to their attorney Frank Chapman, who said they do own the boat and knew better than to drive the boat.

Swingholm's recording of the bikini-clad women in the boat was not pertinent to the probable cause charges against Ide, Chapman said.

Swingholm pulled over the boat even though there were other boats in the area making bigger waves. He did so because he wanted to check out the bikini-clad passengers, Chapman said.

The transcript of the recording does not include the laughter on the boat, meaning that the owner and the passengers were joking with Swingholm, Chapman said.

"Mr. Swingholm is engaged in some cancel culture stuff to shut their people (down)," Chapman said.