Chip ran into some trouble which saw him missing from the show in 2017; he carried out 10 months of a 15-month sentence, having been found guilty on two counts of making false statements, and two counts of perjury. It started in 2011 when his stepson Jonathan Carter was in an altercation with another family. Chip then claimed that someone had pointed a gun (a rifle) at his daughter, Tinmiaq, who was then 17 years old.
Then Chip said Christopher Bit, a state Trooper, physically assaulted Tinmiaq. During an interview, he said she was held in a submissive hold and added that his family was living in fear. He was subsequently imprisoned at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
Chip was prohibited from using modern guns, and Agnes had to do the shooting during the next hunting season. In December 2017, Chip was cleared of all the convictions against him, and he may now use firearms. This is something he looked forward to because he missed being able to hunt.
