Posted on 09/06/2024 5:52:57 AM PDT by Red Badger
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.”
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.
What’s the dead bird and eagle count on giant but useless windmills?
How bout dead whales, fish, seals and sea turtles from the turdbines they stuck in the ocean?
Maybe God is ‘gathering them’ for a feast yet to come................
Maybe he identifies as a windmill?
There’s really a market for dead eagle parts?
“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.”
I can understand someone buying a stuffed eagle. Who would want just part of one?
Probably Native Americans or Chinese ‘folk medicine’
black marketeers..................
Apparently a good one.................
But if you kill them with windmills you go free.
Yes there are black market sales for bird parts with some Indian Tribes. In Oklahoma, a group was arrested years ago for killing scissor tail fly catcher birds for sale on the reservations.
Natives I guess
Exactly. He's just carrying out the work of the "green" energy scam artists.
Smear the perp with raw fish and stake him out for the bald eagles to snack on.
Now arrest the windmill owners.
You are correct. But if he went out to pick up the carcasses, he would have still been guilty of a crime.
I’m not for killing these burds but how asinine is it that power companies can legally kill these creatures but a single person cannot.
Man was shooting endangered loons when an encon agent stopped and ran up to him and said “what in the world are you doing?”
The man says “getting dinner”
Encourage says “that’s agaisnt the law- they are endangered
Man says “oh wow, I didn’t realize- I promise i won’t do it anymore”
Encourage starts to walk away, stops, tu4ns and says “just out of curiosity, what does it taste like”
Man says “meh, they aren’t bad, but not newrly as good as spotted owl”
That they are being killed with the wind generators is just as wrong as purposely going out & shooting them. So wrong to desecrate our national bird in that way...or any way. Just as wrong not to prosecute those who do this...in ANY way.
That they are being killed with the wind generators is just as wrong as purposely going out & shooting them. So wrong to desecrate our national bird in that way...or any way. Just as wrong not to prosecute those who do this...in ANY way.
Replace “eagles” with “babies” for a significant crime.
From Casting Crowns:
“ … United States of America,
looks like another silent night
As we’re sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children”
While You Were Sleeping, 2005
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