More Crimes for Alleged Drug Trafficking in Natrona County…

CASPER — A man known around town as the “Tree Killer,” suspected of being a major fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficker in central Wyoming, faces three new charges.

William Roy McKinney, 43, of Mills, aka “Tree Killer,” had a preliminary hearing Monday, charged with one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, both involving fentanyl.

He is also charged with bringing a controlled substance or alcohol into a correctional facility, and allegedly smuggling fentanyl into prison through his rectum.

Court documents show McKinney had been on the Wyoming Department of Criminal Investigation's radar for several months as a “person of interest” in an ongoing effort to stop the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the Casper area from Colorado.

On March 4, a confidential source claimed that “Tree Killer” was selling fentanyl in the Natrona County area. DCI agents believed the source was referring to McKinney because of the “Tree Killer” tattoo on his neck.

In addition to the current charges, McKinney was arrested and charged with possession of fentanyl and methamphetamine in May and is scheduled to be arraigned on those charges on Aug. 13.

Court documents allege McKinney was in the Natrona County Jail on May 31 and called Michael Stevenson of Casper to ask him to contact someone else to bail him out.

Stevenson is awaiting a preliminary hearing on charges of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance. That hearing is scheduled for Friday.

During the phone call, DCI agents say Pamela Lynch’s voice yelled “Hi” to McKinney, as Stevenson was at her residence. Lynch has a change of plea hearing scheduled for Aug. 13 in Natrona County District Court for a charge of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance based on her actions from Nov. 12 to Dec. 15, 2023.

Drug traffic

On June 5, DCI agents observed McKinney, who had been released from prison, driving a pickup truck with Stevenson, and they encountered another person in a Honda.

The Honda driver was arrested by Casper police and found to be in possession of four fentanyl pills. DCI obtained a search warrant for the suspect's phone, referred to as “confidential source four,” or CS4, in the court document.

Phone records revealed information consistent with Stevenson selling narcotics to CS4, the affidavit said.

On June 11, DCI agents determined that McKinney, driving the same pickup, had traveled to Colorado the day before. Then, on June 12, a confidential source told DCI that McKinney was traveling to Colorado every week, sometimes three times a week, to pick up a “boatload” of 1,000 fentanyl pills.

Court documents state the source told DCI they observed McKinney with a “boatload” of pills and received fentanyl from McKinney at his Mills residence.

DCI obtained a search warrant to place a tracking device on McKinney’s vehicle. On June 15, DCI tracked the vehicle to Denver, where agents believed he had recovered fentanyl and methamphetamine for distribution in Natrona County.

On June 17, McKinney’s vehicle was followed to the Fort Collins area, then returned and drove to Stevenson’s address in Casper. A June 21 interview with a confidential source revealed that the source had received fentanyl from McKinney that week, the affidavit states.

The source also reported that Andrew Oglietti was staying at McKinney's house and redistributing the fentanyl.

Conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance are both punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

The charge of bringing a controlled substance or alcohol into a correctional facility carries a possible prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of $3,000, or both.

Bail was set at $50,000.

Andrew Rossi can be contacted at [email protected].