Man who killed eagles and traded their parts will be sentenced on Thursday

BILLINGS, Mont. — Washington state man who pleaded guilty to murder at least 118 eagles as part of wildlife smuggling ring A business operating on a Native American Reservation in Montana faces criminal charges before a federal judge on Thursday.

Smuggling gang sells eagle feathers and parts Black market exploiting high demand among tribal members who use them at meetings and other ceremonies.

The years-long poaching operation was centered on the Flathead Indian Reservation. In total, the defendant and others killed at least 107 hawks and as many as 3,600 birds, prosecutors said.

Travis John Branson of Cusick, Washington pleaded guilty He was indicted on conspiracy and wildlife trafficking charges in March. A second person was charged in the case, and U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutors said others were also involved.

Prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen in Missoula to impose a “significant” prison sentence and award more than $750,000 in restitution. 5 thousand dollars is demanded for each eagle killed and 1750 dollars for each hawk.

Branson could face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge.

His lawyer wanted his client to be sentenced to probation.

The defense attorney said prosecutors exaggerated the number of birds killed.

Federal Defender Andrew Nelson also objected to the compensation amount, saying it was too high for eagles and hawks should not be counted.

According to Nelson, Branson has no prior criminal history. Nelson said he lost his job as chief of maintenance for the Kalispell Tribe in Washington because of the charges, and the defendant suffered a stroke in April.

Criminal case underscores the persistence of a situation development of illegal trade The eagle was in its feathers despite the efforts of law enforcement, which cleared dozens of criminal charges in the U.S. West and Midwest over the past decade.

Once threatened by the pesticide DDT, bald eagles have rebounded in recent years and the species is now thriving. Golden eagles’ recovery has been weaker, and researchers have warned that the population is on the verge of decline due to shootings, poisonings, electrocution on power lines, collisions with wind turbines and other threats.

It is illegal to buy or sell eagle feathers or other parts. The government attempted to balance the strong demand for feathers among Native Americans by providing them free of charge from the government warehouse. However, they cannot keep up with the demand and the warehouse has years of backlog.

According to court records, Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 from 2009 to 2021 by illegally selling bald and golden eagle parts.

Court documents quote Branson as saying in a January 2021 text that he went on a “killing spree” to obtain an eagle tail.

“It was not uncommon for Branson to receive more than nine eagles at a time,” prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana wrote in a court filing. “Branson not only killed the eagles, but also cut them into pieces to sell for future profit.”

The second defendant, St. Simon Paul of Ignatius, Montana released. A federal judge issued an arrest warrant in December after Paul failed to appear for an initial hearing. Court documents show he fled to Canada.

Federally recognized tribes can apply for a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take bald or golden eagles for religious purposes. Registered tribal members can apply for feathers and other bird parts. National Eagle Repository in Colorado and in nongovernmental warehouses in Oklahoma and Arizona.