Current:Home > reviewsWildlife trafficking ring killed at least 118 eagles, prosecutors say -CryptoBase
Wildlife trafficking ring killed at least 118 eagles, prosecutors say
View
Date:2025-04-19 21:02:12
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A man helped kill at least 118 eagles to sell their feathers and body parts on the black market as part of a long-running wildlife trafficking ring in the western U.S. that authorities allege killed thousands of birds, court filings show.
Travis John Branson is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Sept. 18 for his role in the trafficking ring that operated on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and elsewhere.
Prosecutors say the Cusick, Washington man made between $180,000 and $360,000 from 2009 to 2021 selling bald and golden eagle parts illegally.
“It was not uncommon for Branson to take upwards of nine eagles at a time,” prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana wrote in a Tuesday court filing. “Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.”
Eagle wings, tails, feathers and other parts are highly sought after by Native Americans who use them in ceremonies.
Prosecutors asked Judge Dana Christensen to sentence Branson to “significant imprisonment” and restitution totaling $777,250. That includes $5,000 for every dead eagle and $1,750 for each of 107 hawks that investigators said he and his co-conspirators killed.
Branson’s attorney disputed the prosecutors’ claims and said they overstated the number of birds killed. The prosecution’s allegation that as many as 3,600 birds died came from a co-defendant, Simon Paul, who remains at large. Branson’s attorney suggested in court filings that the stated death toll has fueled public outcry over the case.
“It is notable that Mr. Paul himself went from a 3,600 to 1,000 bird estimate,” Federal Defender Andrew Nelson wrote in a Tuesday filing, referring to a statement Paul made to authorities in a March 13, 2021, traffic stop.
Nelson also said restitution for the hawks was not warranted since those killings were not included in last year’s grand jury indictment. He said Branson had no prior criminal history and asked for a sentence of probation.
Branson and Paul grew up in the Flathead Reservation area. Since their indictment, Paul has been hiding in Canada to evade justice, according to Nelson.
Paul’s defense attorney did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment.
Investigators documented the minimum number of eagles and hawks killed through Branson’s text messages, prosecutors said. Two years of his messages were not recovered, leading prosecutors to say the “full scope of Branson’s killings is not captured.”
Government officials have not revealed any other species of birds killed.
Bald and golden eagles are sacred to many Native Americans. U.S. law prohibits anyone without a permit from killing, wounding or disturbing eagles, or taking their nests or eggs.
Illegal shootings are a leading cause of golden eagle deaths, according to a recent government study.
Members of federally recognized tribes can get feathers and other bird parts legally through from the National Eagle Repository in Colorado and non-government repositories in Oklahoma and Phoenix. There’s a yearslong backlog of requests at the national repository.
Branson pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and two counts of trafficking federally protected bald and golden eagles. He faced a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the most serious charge, conspiracy. Under a plea deal, prosecutors said they would seek to dismiss additional trafficking charges.
Federal guidelines call for a sentence of roughly three to four years in prison for Branson, they said.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Soros’ Open Society Foundations say their restructuring is complete and pledge $400M for green jobs
- Kirby Smart again addresses Georgia football players driving arrests at SEC media days
- Messi 'doing well' after Copa America ankle injury, says he'll return 'hopefully soon'
- Trump's 'stop
- Details emerge about deaths of dad and daughter from Wisconsin and 3rd hiker who died in Utah park
- The Eagles make it a long run at the Sphere with shows in January: How to get tickets
- Inside the tradition of Olympic rings tattoos and why it's an 'exclusive club'
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Judge refuses to extend timeframe for Georgia’s new Medicaid plan, only one with work requirement
Ranking
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- What is Demolition Ranch, the YouTube channel on Thomas Matthew Crooks' shirt?
- Kathie Lee Gifford reveals she's recovering from 'painful' hip replacement surgery
- Natalie Portman Breaks Silence on Benjamin Millepied Divorce
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Texas judge orders Uvalde school district, sheriff's office to release shooting records
- When is Amazon Prime Day 2024? Dates, deals and what to know about summer sales event
- The nation's 911 system is on the brink of its own emergency
Recommendation
Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
New Jersey Democrats set to pick candidate in special House primary for Donald Payne Jr.'s seat
Save 25% on Ashley Graham's Favorite Self-Tanning Mist During Amazon Prime Day 2024
Margot Robbie pictured cradling her stomach amid pregnancy reports
A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
Ingrid Andress' national anthem before MLB Home Run Derby leaves impression
Bengals' Tee Higgins only franchised player of 2024 to not get extension. What's next?
Skip Bayless leaving FS1's 'Undisputed' later this summer, according to reports