A former Oregon correctional officer pleaded guilty last month to multiple poaching and weapons charges in Grant and Umatilla counties, Oregon State Police said Wednesday.
In two separate cases, Christopher Matson, 48, was sentenced to a combined 42 months of probation, $114,000 in fines and a lifetime hunting ban.
Matson pleaded guilty June 18 in Grant County to four counts of unlawful take of a buck deer and three counts of unlawful take of a black bear. On Monday, he pleaded guilty in Umatilla County to felony unlawful possession of a short-barreled rifle, felony unlawful possession of a silencer and felony unlawful take of a mule deer among other charges.
In addition to the fines and probation, Matson must complete 600 hours of community service and forfeit all firearms.
The charges stemmed from a 2025 search warrant served at Matson’s residence, where state police seized multiple animals and nearly 30 firearms. Oregon State Police referred 67 criminal charges for prosecution.
Because the offenses occurred in multiple Oregon counties and Washington, the case was prosecuted by the Oregon Department of Justice’s Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resource Prosecutor.
“This is another example of serial poaching which rises to the level of felony conduct based solely on the repeated poaching conduct and impact of one individual on Oregon’s game mammals,” prosecutor Jay Hall said in a news release. “The conduct across several counties amounts to one of the highest damage amounts done to Oregon wildlife by any singular actor.”
According to prison records, Matson worked at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla from 2019 until he was fired in January, less than a week after pleading guilty to driving under the influence. He was sentenced to an alcohol diversion program.
The Oregon Department of Corrections opened a professional standards review of Matson in October 2025, before his termination. The review remains ongoing but records cite the criminal hunting-related charges filed against him in September 2025 as the reason for the investigation.
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