Two New Mexico residents face criminal charges on the Kenai Peninsula following lengthy investigations by Alaska Wildlife Troopers into illegal hunting and residency violations spanning several years.
According to Wildlife Troopers in Anchor Point, 38-year-old Franklin Keaton Waters and 41-year-old William A. Miller, both of Artesia, New Mexico, are accused of fraudulently obtaining Alaska resident hunting and fishing licenses while continuing to claim residency and receive benefits in New Mexico.
Waters, a registered big game outfitter in New Mexico, was charged in Homer Court with 15 counts, including false statements on license applications, unlawful possession and transportation of game, and hunting without the required non-resident tags or guide.
According to a sworn affidavit by Trooper William Bednar, Waters “purchased a New Mexico resident sheep license on 9/4/2023,” just eight days before obtaining an Alaska driver’s license. On Sep. 14, 2023, Waters purchased a resident sport fishing and hunting license in Alaska, claiming residency since April 2022. However, records show he listed himself as a New Mexico resident just a year earlier and was still receiving tax exemptions as a head of household in Artesia, New Mexico—a benefit reserved for state residents.
“I learned that Waters had reported to ADF&G harvesting or hunting the following animals as an Alaskan resident,” Bednar wrote. That included a moose and a brown bear in 2023 and another moose in 2024—animals taken in a resident-only area near Kohkanok Lake. “In 2023 & 2024 license years, there is no record of Franklin Waters purchasing big game locking tags,” Bednar stated. Those tags are mandatory for non-residents hunting big game in Alaska.
Waters admitted during a recorded interview that his wife and three children live full-time in New Mexico, where the children attend school. “Waters stated that he owns three businesses with one based in Texas and two in New Mexico,” Bednar wrote, adding that Waters had no bank account or vehicle registration in Alaska.
Travel records further undercut Waters’s residency claims. Bednar reported that Waters was in Alaska for just 13 days in 2022, 16 days in 2023, and 22 days in 2024. “It’s clear that Waters was not physically present in the state with the intent to remain in the state indefinitely and make a home in the state,” he concluded.
William A. Miller, who owns the Homer property Waters used as his listed Alaska address, was also charged with multiple offenses related to false residency claims and illegal hunting activity between 2021 and 2024. Charges include taking caribou, brown bear, and goat without appropriate licenses, tags, or guides. His arraignment is scheduled for April 23 in Homer Court.
Charging documents for Miller filed on Apr. 8 were not immediately available at this time.
Both cases were brought forward with support from New Mexico conservation officers, who flagged inconsistencies in residency and license purchases. Wildlife troopers say the cases are part of an ongoing effort to enforce Alaska’s strict residency requirements and protect wildlife resources from illegal take.
