Bozeman, Montana businessman charged in Crockett for Criminal Theft of Firearms, Optics from a local business

By Kelly Nicol

Messenger Publisher

CROCKETT – The Messenger’s investigative reporting has uncovered a story that will be interesting to Houston County, as well as most of the country.

Jeff Edwards is currently sitting in Gallatin County Jail in Montana, awaiting extradition to Houston County for criminal charges of stealing a rifle and several optics from a new local business, Stealth Vision.

Stealth Vision, LLC, is owned by local eye doctor, former Mayor of Crockett, and entrepreneur, Dr. John McCall.

Dr. McCall was the majority shareholder of a rifle and optics company (Best of the West LLC) in Cody, WY.

Due to some nefarious and unethical business dealings against Dr. McCall, he was forced to sue them for his investment and stolen stock.

According to public records, this went to a full 12-person jury trial in October 2023 and Dr. McCall won a large judgment against Best of the West Holdings. By the time this lawsuit got to a jury trial, Joe & Christine Michaletz from Mankato, Minnesota, were now the owners and had created Best of the West Holdings. Mr. Michaletz swore under oath that he had the means to pay Dr. McCall any judgment amount, if he lost.

Instead of paying the judgment, he sold his interest in Best of the West Holdings to Stryk Group which is owned by Jeff Edwards of Bozeman, Montana for $1.00.

Being the new owner of Best of the West Holdings, Jeff Edwards (Stryk Group) inherited the Park County Wyoming District Court judgment awarded to Dr. McCall.

Stryk Group’s attorney, Tom Singer, told the District Court in Cody that Stryk Group was approved and would post a bond to cover the amount owed to Dr. McCall.

When the court gave Jeff Edwards (Stryk Group) a deadline to produce the (already approved) bond, he declared bankruptcy one hour before the court deadline.

The rumor is that Jeff Edwards’ plan all along was to move Best of the West LLC from Cody, Wyoming to the Bozeman, Montana area.

Jeff Edwards is the owner of Stryk Group, that was working for Stealth Vision and promised to distribute millions of dollars of merchandise to his “already setup” distribution group.

Charges were filed in Houston County for felony criminal theft of a rifle and numerous optics.

On Oct 9, 2024, Jeff Edwards was picked up by the Gallatin County Sheriff’s office and was booked into jail, awaiting extradition to Houston County Texas.

The future of Best of the West is up in the air as they lost a large judgment to Dr. McCall and are currently in bankruptcy, and the owner is facing criminal theft charges including firearms.

The Messenger reached out to Dr. McCall, and his only statement was that due to the severity of the crime, his attorneys had told him not to comment.