Prosecutors for the US Attorney’s Office in Montana claim that Travis John Branson generated between $180,000 (£136,750) and $360,000 (£273,500) between 2009 and 2021 from the illicit sale of bald and golden eagle feathers and body parts.
On September 18, a federal court in Cusick, Washington, is set to sentence Branson for his involvement in the human trafficking network that functioned on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana as well as other locations.
“It was not uncommon for Branson to take upwards of nine eagles at a time,” prosecutors claimed.
In order to sell the eagles for future earnings, Branson not only killed them but also chopped them into bits.”
Branson faced a maximum sentence of five years in jail and a fine of $250,000 (£189,930) after entering a guilty plea in March to conspiracy, wildlife trafficking, and two charges of trafficking federally protected bald and golden eagles.
Prosecutors, however, stated that as part of the plea agreement, they will try to get more trafficking charges dropped. They further mentioned that according to federal rules, Branson should serve a sentence of three to four years in jail.
