Two men were indicted last week on federal charges of illegally killing and trafficking numerous bald and golden eagles in Montana.
According to a grand jury indictment filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Missoula, Simon Paul, Travis John Branson and "others" killed about 3,600 birds, eagles among them, during a self-described "killing spree" on the Flathead Indian Reservation north of Missoula and elsewhere. The pair allegedly sold the birds and parts of birds "for significant sums of cash" in the U.S. and internationally.
The events leading to the indictment were alleged to have occurred from about the start of 2015 through about March 2021. Branson allegedly told buyers he was "out (here) committing felonies," according to the indictment. Together, the pair are alleged to have sold whole bald and golden eagles, bald and golden eagle wings, and golden eagle tails.
People are also reading…
The indictment charged each defendant with one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking illegally taken plants or animals. The conspiracy charge carries a penalty of five years in federal prison, three years' probation and a $250,000 fine. The Lacey Act violation is punishable by the same prison sentence and a $20,000 fine.
Additionally, Branson, of Washington state, was charged with eight counts of violating the 1940 Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Paul, of Ronan, was charged with five counts of violating the act.
The law makes it illegal to kill, possess, transport, sell, purchase, import or export bald and golden eagles, their body parts, nests or eggs. The law was expanded in 1962 to cover golden eagles in addition to bald eagles. A first violation is punishable by one year in federal prison, one year of probation and a $5,000 fine. The prison term and fine are doubled for subsequent convictions on the same charge.
In June, a Hardin man was sentenced in federal court in South Dakota to three years in federal prison, one year of probation and $70,000 in restitution for killing 14 juvenile golden eagles and selling their parts. That man, Harvey Hugs, was previously convicted in 2012 of aiding and abetting eagle trafficking.
According to events outlined in last week's indictment, Branson traveled from Washington to the reservation in Montana from 2019 through March 2021 to shoot bald and golden eagles with Paul, who lived near Ronan on the reservation.
"When Branson arrived on the Flathead Indian Reservation," the indictment stated, "Paul would meet and help kill, transport, and ship bald and golden eagles for future sales on the black market."
In one particular incident, Branson allegedly texted a photo of a golden eagle tail to a buyer on Dec. 17, 2020, and received payment for the tail via PayPal the same day. Paul allegedly mailed the tail from St. Ignatius to Texas on Dec. 19. The indictment alleged that Branson received a text from the buyer two days later stating, "Got that thang from Simon. And the mirror feathers. Tnks."
Later, on March 13, 2021, the pair allegedly killed a golden eagle that was lured to a previously killed deer. Paul cleaned the animal, according to the indictment, and the pair "placed various golden eagle parts in the vehicle for transport."