Current:Home > MarketsMan who killed 118 eagles in years-long wildlife trafficking ring set for sentencing-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Man who killed 118 eagles in years-long wildlife trafficking ring set for sentencing
View Date:2024-12-24 00:14:22
A sentencing date has been set for man accused of slaughtering more than 3,600 birds, including more than 118 protected eagles, during a years-long wildlife trafficking ring out West, new court documents show.
Travis John Branson, 48, pleaded guilty in March to charges including conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and trafficking bald and golden eagles, in federal court in Montana.
According to a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday, Branson and his “crew” killed eagles and then sold them across the country for profit on the black market.
“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 the filing. “Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.”
Rembrandt paining sells for record price'Portrait of a Girl' found in Maine attic sells for record $1.4 million
Branson estimated to make $360,000 on black market from 2009 to 2021
According to the court filling, prosecutors say Branson, of Washington state, sought to profit by shooting, killing, and selling eagles for years.
An investigation found Branson, and Simon Paul, of St. Ignatius, Montana, killed the birds - a crime "documented in Branson's own text messages," court papers show.
The co-defendants', court papers show, grew up in the Flathead Reservation area. After they were indicted in the case, Paul fled to Canada to evade justice.
During a review of Branson’s phone, agents recovered multiple photographs of Branson sending feathers and parts from eagles he recently killed.
In text messages between him and Paul, Branson revealed that he "was specifically looking to shoot a baby eagle," prosecutors said. The messages from Branson also showed he had "zero remorse for killing eagles," and possibly "enjoyed and bragged about the number of eagles he killed."
Branson is estimated to have made between $180,000 and $360,000 in 2009 through 2021, making $15,000 to $30,000 each year.
The two men possibly killed around 3,600 birds over an extended amount of time, Paul previously told law enforcement.
"Branson’s killings are an affront to one of our nation’s most prized symbols," prosecutors wrote in the court filing. "His sentence should reflect the seriousness of those offenses."
The men went on "a killing spree"
"Branson did this despite knowing full well that his actions were wrong," court papers read. "When negotiating purchase prices of eagle feathers with a potential buyer, Branson repeatedly acknowledged his conduct was criminal: He told another potential buyer he would obtain other eagle tails by “going on a killing spree.”
Prosecutors are asking the judge to sentence him to “significant imprisonment” and pay $777,250 in restitution −$5,000 for every dead eagle and $1,750 for each of more than 100 hawks investigators say Branson and his co-conspirators killed.
Had Branson gone to trial and been convicted, he would have faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the most serious charge, conspiracy. Under a plea deal made in February, prosecutors agreed to dismiss an additional trafficking charges.
Branson is set to be sentenced before Judge Dana L. Christensen on Sept. 18.
Co-defendant remains at large
An arrest warrant was issued in January for Paul after he failed to appear for a scheduled court date.
As of Thursday, he remained at large.
Paul is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one count of violation the Lacey Act, a law that bans the trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish, or plants.
Why is selling and trafficking eagles illegal?
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which was enacted in 1940, made it illegal to "take, possess, sell, purchase, barter, offer to sell, purchase or barter, transport, export or import, at any time or any manner, any bald eagle ... [or any golden eagle], alive or dead, or any part (including feathers), nest, or egg thereof," according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
First-time offenders who violate the act can face one or both of the following, according to the agency:
- $100,000 fine, which increases to $200,000 for organizations
- Imprisonment for one year
"Penalties increase substantially for additional offenses, and a second violation of this Act is a felony," stated the FWS.
Contributing: James Powel
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
veryGood! (5168)
Related
- Don't Miss This Sweet Moment Between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Dads at the Kansas City Chiefs Game
- Warming Trends: Farming for City Dwellers, an Upbeat Climate Podcast and Soil Bacteria That May Outsmart Warming
- New York’s Heat-Vulnerable Neighborhoods Need to Go Green to Cool Off
- On Climate, Kamala Harris Has a Record and Profile for Action
- Olivia Culpo Celebrates Christian McCaffrey's NFL Comeback Alongside Mother-in-Law
- The economics lessons in kids' books
- Inside Clean Energy: Tesla Gets Ever So Close to 400 Miles of Range
- Paying for Extreme Weather: Wildfire, Hurricanes, Floods and Droughts Quadrupled in Cost Since 1980
- 'Dangerous and unsanitary' conditions at Georgia jail violate Constitution, feds say
- TikTok Star Carl Eiswerth Dead at 35
Ranking
- When does Spirit Christmas open? What to know about Spirit Halloween’s new holiday venture
- Kate Hudson Bonds With Ex Matt Bellamy’s Wife Elle Evans During London Night Out
- One of the world's oldest endangered giraffes in captivity, 31-year-old Twiga, dies at Texas zoo
- New York’s Heat-Vulnerable Neighborhoods Need to Go Green to Cool Off
- Black women notch historic Senate wins in an election year defined by potential firsts
- Indiana deputy dies after being attacked by inmate during failed escape
- Warming Trends: Chief Heat Officers, Disappearing Cave Art and a Game of Climate Survival
- Big Oil Took a Big Hit from the Coronavirus, Earnings Reports Show
Recommendation
-
SNL's Chloe Fineman Says Rude Elon Musk Made Her Burst Into Tears as Show Host
-
See Al Pacino, 83, and Girlfriend Noor Alfallah on Date Night After Welcoming Baby Boy
-
The attack on Brazil's Congress was stoked by social media — and by Trump allies
-
Hugh Hefner’s Son Marston Hefner Says His Wife Anna Isn’t a Big Fan of His OnlyFans
-
Full House Star Dave Coulier Shares Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Diagnosis
-
UFC Fighter Conor McGregor Denies Sexually Assaulting Woman at NBA Game
-
Minimum wage just increased in 23 states and D.C. Here's how much
-
Sony says its PlayStation 5 shortage is finally over, but it's still hard to buy
Like
- NFL Week 10 winners, losers: Cowboys' season can no longer be saved
- As Coal Declined, This Valley Turned to Sustainable Farming. Now Fracking Threatens Its Future.
- Warming Trends: What Happens Once We Stop Shopping, Nano-Devices That Turn Waste Heat into Power and How Your Netflix Consumption Warms the Planet