Last Updated: December 14, 2023, 22:18 IST
Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
Paul and Branson have been issued summons to seem for arraignments on January 8.(Representational picture/X)
Investigators discovered messages describing the unlawful taking of eagles, saying he was committing felonies and telling patrons he was on a killing spree to gather extra eagle tail feathers for future gross sales, in accordance to the indictment
A federal grand jury in US’s Montana has indicted two males accused of killing about 3,600 birds, together with bald eagles and golden eagles, and promoting them on the black market.
The indictment returned in US District Court final week fees Simon Paul and Travis John Branson with 13 counts of illegal trafficking of bald and golden eagles and one depend every of conspiracy and violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking of illegally taken wildlife.
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was enacted in 1940 to shield the bald eagle, recognising that the bald eagle shouldn’t be merely a fowl of organic curiosity, however this nation’s nationwide image which displays America’s beliefs of freedom, the indictment states.
The act was prolonged in 1962 to embrace golden eagles. Branson, Paul and others hunted and killed hundreds of birds, together with eagles, on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere, then illegally bought them for vital sums of money throughout the United States and elsewhere, the indictment states.
Investigators discovered messages from Branson and others describing the unlawful taking of eagles, saying he was committing felonies and telling patrons he was on a killing spree to gather extra eagle tail feathers for future gross sales, in accordance to the indictment.
The indictment alleges that Paul and Branson conspired to kill and promote the eagles illegally close to Ronan, Montana, from 2015 and 2021. From 2019 and 2021, Branson travelled from Washington state to the reservation to shoot the eagles, and Paul, who lived close to the reservation, was a shooter and shipper for Branson.
When Branson arrived on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Paul would meet and assist kill, transport, and ship bald and golden eagles for future gross sales on the black market, the indictment states.
Paul and Branson have been issued summons to seem for arraignments on January 8.
Court paperwork don’t listing attorneys for Paul or Branson.
