Wildlife trafficking ring killed at least 118 eagles, prosecutors say

Matthew Brown, Associated Press

BILLINGS, Montana (AP) — A man helped termination astatine slightest 118 eagles to waste their feathers and assemblage parts connected nan achromatic marketplace arsenic portion of a long-running wildlife trafficking ringing successful nan occidental U.S. that authorities allege killed thousands of birds, tribunal filings show.

Travis John Branson is scheduled to beryllium sentenced successful national tribunal connected Sept. 18 for his domiciled successful nan trafficking ringing that operated connected nan Flathead Indian Reservation successful Montana and elsewhere.

Prosecutors opportunity nan Cusick, Washington man made betwixt $180,000 and $360,000 from 2009 to 2021 trading bald and aureate eagle parts illegally.

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“It was not uncommon for Branson to return upwards of 9 eagles astatine a time,” prosecutors pinch nan U.S. Attorney’s Office successful Montana wrote successful a Tuesday tribunal filing. “Not only did Branson termination eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to waste for early profits.”

Eagle wings, tails, feathers and different parts are highly sought aft by Native Americans who usage them successful ceremonies.

Prosecutors asked Judge Dana Christensen to condemnation Branson to “significant imprisonment” and restitution totaling $777,250. That includes $5,000 for each dormant eagle and $1,750 for each of 107 hawks that investigators said he and his co-conspirators killed.

Branson’s lawyer disputed nan prosecutors’ claims and said they overstated nan number of birds killed. The prosecution’s allegation that arsenic galore arsenic 3,600 birds died came from a co-defendant, Simon Paul, who remains astatine large. Branson’s lawyer suggested successful tribunal filings that nan stated decease toll has fueled nationalist outcry complete nan case.

“It is notable that Mr. Paul himself went from a 3,600 to 1,000 vertebrate estimate,” Federal Defender Andrew Nelson wrote successful a Tuesday filing, referring to a connection Paul made to authorities successful a March 13, 2021, postulation stop.

Nelson besides said restitution for nan hawks was not warranted since those killings were not included successful past year’s expansive assemblage indictment. He said Branson had nary anterior criminal history and asked for a condemnation of probation.

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Branson and Paul grew up successful nan Flathead Reservation area. Since their indictment, Paul has been hiding successful Canada to evade justice, according to Nelson.

Paul’s defense lawyer did not instantly respond to a telephone connection seeking comment.

Investigators documented nan minimum number of eagles and hawks killed done Branson’s matter messages, prosecutors said. Two years of his messages were not recovered, starring prosecutors to opportunity nan “full scope of Branson’s killings is not captured.”

Government officials person not revealed immoderate different type of birds killed.

Bald and aureate eagles are ineffable to galore Native Americans. U.S. rule prohibits anyone without a licence from killing, wounding aliases disturbing eagles, aliases taking their nests aliases eggs.

Illegal shootings are a starring origin of aureate eagle deaths, according to a caller authorities study.

Members of federally recognized tribes tin get feathers and different vertebrate parts legally done from nan National Eagle Repository successful Colorado and non-government repositories successful Oklahoma and Phoenix. There’s a yearslong backlog of requests astatine nan nationalist repository.

Branson pleaded blameworthy successful March to conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and 2 counts of trafficking federally protected bald and aureate eagles. He faced a maximum of 5 years successful situation and a $250,000 good connected nan astir superior charge, conspiracy. Under a plea deal, prosecutors said they would activity to disregard further trafficking charges.

Federal guidelines telephone for a condemnation of astir 3 to 4 years successful situation for Branson, they said.