Two Montana men have been indicted by a federal grand jury after allegedly poaching 3,600 bald eagles, golden eagles, and other protected birds.
The defendants, Simon Paul and Travis John Branson, allegedly poached the birds at Montana’s Flathead Indian Reservation and other nearby locations in the state between January 2015 and March 2021. The men are accused of selling the birds’ carcasses on the black market.
Both men were indicted on 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles, one count of conspiracy, and one count of violating the Lacey Act in excess of $350. The Lacey Act outlaws the trafficking of protected fish, plants, or wildlife. The men each face up to 11 years in prison and $275,000 in fines if found guilty and slapped with maximum penalties on all counts.
During law enforcement’s investigation into the pair, the authorities reportedly uncovered incriminating text messages.
Branson allegedly sent texts to black market buyers that read he was “[o]ut committing felonies” and was “on a killing spree” to get illegal carcasses to sell. Branson also texted photographs of golden eagle tail sets to potential sellers and conducted transactions with the same seller on PayPal later that day.
The case against the alleged poachers is ongoing, and law enforcement has stated that they cannot comment further on the case at this time.
The bald eagle became a national symbol of the United States in 1782 during the nation’s founding era. Congress took steps to protect the regal birds from hunting and poaching in 1940. The ban was expanded in 1962 to include golden eagles.