A Bend, Oregon man has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition in the Deschutes National Forest. Cody Joe Hunt, 38, received a sentence of 24 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Court documents show that on February 13, 2025, U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officers responded to reports of gunfire near China Hat Road in the Deschutes National Forest. Upon arrival, officers saw Hunt fleeing into the woods and leaving behind an assault rifle and shell casings. Officers tracked him through the snow and found ammunition in his pockets that matched the rifle. Hunt was arrested on separate charges at that time.
A search warrant for Hunt’s electronic devices revealed evidence that he had possessed the rifle in previous weeks after being involved in its purchase at a local firearm dealer. As a convicted felon, Hunt is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On September 18, 2025, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned a two-count superseding indictment charging Hunt with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He pleaded guilty to both counts on November 18, 2025.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service with assistance from the Deschutes County Digital Forensics Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren prosecuted the case.
Scott Bradford serves as U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and has previously held positions such as Chief of the White Collar Unit and Acting Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section (official website). The office operates under the U.S. Department of Justice as one of 93 offices nationwide (official website), employing 107 staff members across offices located in Portland, Eugene, and Medford (official website). The office engages in community outreach efforts to fight crime and protect rights throughout Oregon (official website) while seeking to pursue justice by representing the United States in civil and criminal matters (official website).
