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.
So, which Gawd was it that was staked out each morning to have his liver eaten by eagles?
That is one solution.
Prometheus.....................
Those birds go to the repository for native Americans to use in their ceremonies and dance. Apparently there aren’t enough being whooped by windmills and such to meet the demand by all the papered indigenous people out there, so there is a black market to meet the extreme demand.
Absolutely there is...talons and feathers are in big demand for the highly competitive pow wow dance circuit.
In the Victorian era the feathers of egrets and herons, ibid and spoonbills were in such demand for ladies’ hats that these birds nearly went extinct. That is the source of some of these severe penalties on feather possession of endangered species.
Yes, the same ones the media tells us are one with nature and respect animals.
It’s illegal to own an eagle feather.
Same with Manatee, nothing. Not on part.
Illegal to possess a single eagle feather even if you don’t know what it is. Just one more way for the Union government to make you a criminal and take your guns.
[Branson estimated to make $360,000 on black market from 2009 to 2021]
That’s not even $15/hour. He could have done better at McDonald’s.
Kill human babies and planned patenthood and the aclu will support you.
Wrong species.
but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.”
= = =
I would guess: claws, feathers, wings, head and beak . . .
And he HACKED them. Was he Russian?
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