A 74-year-old Cody man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of making terroristic threats in letters addressed to President Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and a local oil and gas company, claiming he’s owned more than $2 trillion and he’d blow up oil wells if he doesn’t get it.
Marcotte Taggart faces four felony charges of making terroristic threats in a series of six letters he sent to a Park County, Wyoming, oil field company in which he claims he owns the company's mineral rights and is owed more than $56 million, according to an affidavit of probable cause written by Cody Police Department Detective Scott Burlingame.
“The most recent appeared to be a letter dated Aug. 31, 2026,” he wrote. “The letter in question again demanded a ‘MINIMUM of $56,352,872.73 within 24 hours of receipt of this letter.’”
That letter also elevated the threats Taggart is alleged to have made in previous letters to the company, in which Taggart wrote that he’s “ready and willing and able to use my rights as an American citizen, and my resources, to remove this well from operation by the use of my second amendment rights,” the affidavit says.
The letter goes on to elaborate that he’s also prepared to use explosives.
“In the field or in your corporate office, I will reclaim MY property with any force I have to in order to recover my lost funds,” Taggart wrote, according to the affidavit.
Taggart also allegedly wrote a similar letter dated Aug. 10 addressed to “President Trump, Kash Patel, Todd Blanche, Doug Burhum (sic)” that states another energy company owes him about $2 trillion, and yet another about $135 million, the affidavit says.
He tells the president, FBI director and Interior secretary in the letter that he “can and will pull down the pump jacks” on the oil and gas fields where the companies are operating, and that he’s willing to use “explosive devices” or “firearms if I have to. I have waited long enough.”
‘Any Means Necessary’
A pair of Bureau of Land Management agents interviewed Taggart on Aug. 31, and he said he wrote to Trump, Patel and Burgum to get their help in collecting what he’s owed, Burlingame says in his affidavit.
“Marc stated he sent the letter to gain attention and obtain assistance in recovering what he believes is money owed to him,” the BLM agents reported, according to the affidavit.
“Marc also told the Special Agents that he has his administrative assistant craft the letters and he then signs them,” the document continues.
All the letters to the Park County company are similar but seem to escalate.
The threats range from removing chains from gates and taking equipment to “the use of firearms and explosives on buildings and personnel,” the affidavit says.
Burlingame includes excerpts from the six letters sent to the local oil field company.
July 27, 2026: “Employ my second amendment rights and remove any persons who are working on that well site by armed force, or completely remove this well by the use of explosive force and devices.”
Aug. 7, 2026: “Chaining and locking off all access to well and head sites. … I can and will remove the wells from production by any means necessary including destruction to reclaim my personal property.”
Aug. 12, 2026: “Elimination of that well with explosives, or chaining and blocking all access to the well.”
Aug. 24, 2026: “I am ready and willing and able to use my rights as an American citizen, and my resources to remove this well from operation … by explosive means if I have to.”
Aug. 26, 2026: “… by the use of me (sic) second amendment rights, in the field or in your corporate building or by explosive means if I have to in the field or in your corporate office.”
Aug. 31, 2026: He again makes the threat to take his gripe to the corporate office and use explosives “if I have to.”
Workers Uneasy
While questioning one of the oil field company’s officials about the threats from Taggart, the official said that the Cody man also would show up at their job site and main office in person.
“I questioned (him) if he and the other employees were fearful of Marc,” Burlingame wrote. “(He) said the employees have most definitely met to discuss the threats and what to do if Marc showed up.”
The threatening letters are absolutely a concern, the official said.
As of Thursday afternoon, Taggart remained at the Park County Detention Center, held without bond pending his first court appearance.
If convicted of the four felony charges, he could get up to three years in prison for each, or up to 12 years if the maximum sentences are ordered to run consecutively.
He also could be fined up to $10,000 for each charge.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
