A man who killed eagles on an Indian reservation received almost 4 years in prison

MISSOULA, Mont. — A Washington state man accused of running a wildlife trafficking ring on a Native American reservation that killed thousands of eagles and hawks for sale on the black market was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in prison.

A human trafficking ring operated for years on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana, exploiting high demand among tribal members for feathers and other bird parts used in powwows and sacred ceremonies.

According to prosecutors, the defendant and others killed at least 118 eagles, 107 hawks and 3,600 birds.

In particular, young golden eagles were targeted because their black and white feathers are highly coveted among Native Americans, officials said.

The poaching operation was centered on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana, which researchers say has one of the highest concentrations of eagles and other birds of prey in the United States. to shoot eagles that flew in to feed on them, officials said.

They also accidentally shot hawks from power poles and other perches.

Travis John Branson, 49, of Cuzick, Washington, admitted his guilt in March on charges of conspiracy and wildlife trafficking.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen in Missoula said during the sentencing hearing that Branson’s killing of the birds was premeditated, significant and done with full knowledge that he was breaking the law.

“If you hadn’t been caught, you would still be doing it today,” the judge said. Christensen ordered Branson to pay $777,250 in restitution — $5,000 for each eagle killed and $1,750 for each hawk.

The sentence was at the top of federal sentencing guidelines.

Before sentencing, Branson apologized to the court and his family.

“It’s my fault,” he said. “I know what I did was wrong.”

In text messages obtained by investigators and presented at the sentencing hearing, Branson had been writing about killing birds since the 1980s.

“So many I can’t remember anymore LOL,” Branson said in one text.

Other texts describe the shooting of eagles in Nevada and Idaho and the shooting of dozens of birds in one weekend.

“This is just a small glimpse of the carnage that was going on,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Mona Iannelli said during the hearing.

A second defendant in the case told authorities the bird-trafficking ring had been operating since 2009, killing 300 to 400 birds annually.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office said others were also involved.

But during Thursday’s hearing, Branson was accused of masterminding a bird-trafficking ring — instructing others on where and when to shoot the birds and then arranging for their feathers and parts to be sold.

“His lack of respect for the sanctity of these protected birds was driven by only one thing: greed,” U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said after the hearing.

Laslovich added that those who bought the feathers shared responsibility for the murders. The prosecutor said he wanted to put buyers on notice that their conduct was a federal crime.

Prosecutors asked the judge to impose a “significant” prison term and order Branson to pay restitution.

He faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. His public defender asked for probation and said prosecutors overstated the number of birds killed.

Federal defender Andrew Nelson also disputed the restitution amount, saying it was too high for eagles and hawks should not be counted.

Christensen rejected the arguments.

According to Nelson, Branson had no prior criminal record. He grew up on the Flathead Reservation, home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes.

Nelson said the criminal charges cost him his job as a service supervisor for the Kalispell Tribe in Washington and suffered a stroke in April.

The large number of birds killed in this case emphasizes the persistence of a illegal trade flourishes in eagle feathers, despite law enforcement efforts over the past decade that have resulted in dozens of criminal charges in the US West and Midwest.

Confederation of Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson said the loss of so many birds of prey from the Flathead Reservation will be felt for years to come. According to him, the eagles are important to the ecosystem of the reserve, as well as to the cultural and spiritual practices of the tribe members.

“We hope this will help put an end to illegal poaching on our homelands,” Dolson said.

Bald eagles, once severely affected by the pesticide DDT, have recovered in recent decades and enough now. Restoration of golden eagles took place thinner and researchers have warned that the population is on the verge of decline due to shooting, poisoningelectric shock on power lines, collision with wind turbines and other threats.

Buying or selling eagle feathers or other parts is prohibited. The government tried to compensate for the high demand for feathers among Native Americans by providing them free of charge from the state treasury. But they can’t keep up with the demand, and the repository has a multi-year backlog.

According to court records, Branson earned between $180,000 and $360,000 between 2009 and 2021 by illegally selling bald eagle and golden eagle parts.

Christensen allowed Branson to remain out of custody until he reports to prison. On the way out of the courthouse, the defendant made an obscene gesture to journalists without giving any comments.

He waived his right to appeal Thursday’s sentence under a plea deal that included dropping the additional charges.

The second defendant, Simon Pavlo, of St. Ignatius, Montana, remains at large. In December, a federal judge issued an arrest warrant for Paul after he failed to appear at his first court appearance. According to court documents, he fled to Canada.

Federally recognized tribes may apply for a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to harvest bald eagles or golden eagles for religious purposes. Registered tribal members may apply for feathers and other bird parts at National Eagle Repository in Colorado and non-government repositories in Oklahoma and Arizona.