Harold Otwell, 47, of El Dorado pleaded guilty this week to attempted arson of a wildlife officer’s truck and jury tampering, the Game and Fish Commission announced in a news release.

Otwell was sentenced to 10 years for attempted arson and five for the jury tampering charge.

The release said a wildlife officer discovered an effort to set fire to his agency vehicle when it was parked outside his home June 24, 2018. Evidence also showed, Game and Fish said, Otwell had tried to contact a juror in the case.  The agency said they believed Otwell was retaliating for actions by the wildlife officer. A spokesman told me he believed the complaint related to hunting turkey out of season.

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