BITTER TRANSMITTER SABOTEUR – Wyoming Public Radio Director of Engineering Paul Montoya reached a plea agreement that kept him out of jail on charges that he illegally tampered with his station’s transmitters after allegedly having bitter feuds with management. Although Montoya told authorities that he was on the East Coast when a Laramie transmitter was physically shut down on Pilot Hill inside an equipment building, a T-Mobile warrant for his phone’s location data said at the time of the incident, he was in the general area of the WPR tower.
Paul Montoya, former Laramie City Council candidate and longtime figure in Wyoming’s broadcasting industry, avoided a felony conviction after reaching a plea agreement involving alleged tampering with Wyoming Public Radio’s (WPR) transmitters. The case, which stemmed from incidents in late 2022, became a focal point of political and professional controversy during Montoya’s campaign for a Ward 1 City Council seat.
Montoya, who served as WPR’s Director of Engineering and a host on the “Wyoming Sounds” program, was accused of disabling the station’s radio transmitters and remote access systems on two separate occasions in October and November 2022.
An affidavit filed by University of Wyoming Police (UWPD) Detective Andrew Vielhak alleged that Montoya:
“On October 27, 2022, a person later determined to be Paul Montoya remotely logged into a desktop workstation computer that operates WPR’s radio transmissions, including radio towers, broadcasting technology and equipment, and other WPR-related functions. Montoya remotely navigated the computer to a program that controls WPR’s radio transmitters, and disabled the transmitters. Montoya then logged out of the system.”
“On November 4, 2022, at an unknown time, Montoya physically arrived at the ‘Pilot Hill’ location, where WPR’s radio towers are located, as well as a building that houses the workstations that control the towers. Montoya physically accessed a workstation inside the building, and again disabled the radio transmitters. Montoya also enabled a function on the workstation that disabled remote-access to the workstation, effectively denying any other authorized users’ remote-access to the computer station and rendering them unable to turn the transmitters back on remotely.”
These transmitters are a key component of Wyoming’s Emergency Alert System (EAS), disseminating critical public safety information, including AMBER and weather alerts. Ironically, Montoya designed and implemented the Wyoming EAS plan.
Montoya was charged under Wyoming Statute § 6-3-504(a)(ii), initially facing up to three years in prison and $3,000 in fines for crimes against computer users.
Montoya denied the allegations, maintaining that his actions were part of his routine job duties. He also questioned the timing of the charges, which were filed nearly a year after the alleged incidents and coincided with his criticisms of the Laramie City Council administration.
The UWPD began its investigation in late 2022. Vielhak submitted his affidavit on September 7, 2023. Montoya was arraigned on the charges on August 14, 2024.
After an extended legal process, Montoya pleaded no contest to a reduced misdemeanor charge of computer trespassing on November 18, 2024. Under Wyoming’s first offender statute, this plea allows Montoya to avoid a conviction on his record. His sentence includes One year of unsupervised probation, Payment of $370 in court fees, and no fines or jail time.
First offender plea allows Montoya to avoid a conviction record
The 29-year Wyoming resident was able to make his plea under Wyoming’s first offender statute, which allows someone to be found guilty by a court while avoiding a conviction on their record.
The resolution was a significant departure from the initial felony charges, with one charge dropped early in the case and the other reduced shortly after the November 5 general election.
According to media reports, Montoya pleaded no contest because he did not feel it was worth the time and expense to proceed to a hearing to defend his case.
Montoya might have found it difficult to dispute hard evidence
Vielhak noted in his affidavit that the suspect’s identity was initially unknown. He then acquired two search warrants.
“The first search warrant was served to Charter Communications, Inc., who was determined through an open-source search as the internet provider for the IP address that was used to perpetrate the remote-disabling of the transmitters. The search warrant returned information that the act was perpetrated by a person staying at the Argus Hotel in Albany, New York. Your affiant then confirmed with the Argus Hotel’s management that Montoya had been physically staying in that hotel during the time of the incident.”
Vielhak said he served a second warrant to T-Mobile, “who was determined through an open source search to be Montoya’s cell-phone service provider.”
“The search warrant returned information that Montoya had physically been in the geographical region of Laramie, WY and Buford, WY during the timeframe of the transmitters being physically turned off, and user access denied. Montoya had told many people, your affiant included, that he was on the east coast and did not return to Laramie, WY until after the incident.”
Vielhak said he learned from WPR that employees are not allowed to disable the transmitters “under normal operating circumstances or with malicious intent ” or deny remote access to other users.
“Your affiant learned that Montoya is an employee of WPR, has access to the Pilot Hill tower location, and knows how to operate the remote-user access applications,” the affidavit alleges. “Your affiant also learned that Montoya has been severely angry with WPR in the past, been subject to many complaints, and had a deteriorating relationship with WPR administration at the time of the incident.”
A respected figure in broadcasting, Montoya’s career spans nearly five decades across cities like Denver, Albuquerque, and Laramie. During his tenure at WPR (2015–2023), he spearheaded numerous advancements:
– Expanded WPR’s signal coverage by adding 22 new broadcasting sites.
– Constructed six new transmitter sites.
– Upgraded WPR’s automation and distribution systems, ensuring reliability during adverse weather.
Montoya and his wife Lynn, longtime Wyoming residents, have also been prominent local business owners, operating and owning radio stations, a bed and breakfast, and a broadcast consulting firm.
