Article Summary –
Travis John Branson is implicated in a wildlife trafficking ring that killed at least 118 eagles and potentially thousands of other birds, making between $180,000 and $360,000 from selling eagle parts illegally from 2009 to 2021. Prosecutors are seeking significant imprisonment and restitution for the illegal killing of eagles and hawks, although Branson’s attorney disputes the number of birds killed and questions the inclusion of hawks in the restitution. Branson pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and wildlife trafficking and faces three to four years in prison under federal guidelines, with additional charges to be dismissed under a plea deal.
BILLINGS — A man participated in killing at least 118 eagles to sell their feathers and body parts on the black market, part of a wildlife trafficking ring in the western U.S. that allegedly killed thousands of birds, court filings reveal.
Travis John Branson is due for sentencing in federal court on Sept. 18 for his role in the trafficking ring operating on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and other locations.
Prosecutors indicate that Branson, from Cusick, Washington, earned between $180,000 and $360,000 from 2009 to 2021 by selling illegal bald and golden eagle parts.
“It was not uncommon for Branson to take upwards of nine eagles at a time,” stated prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Montana. “Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he hacked them into pieces to sell for future profits.”
Eagle wings, tails, feathers, and other parts are highly desired by Native Americans for ceremonial purposes.
Prosecutors are requesting Judge Dana Christensen to impose “significant imprisonment” and restitution of $777,250, including $5,000 for each dead eagle and $1,750 for each of 107 hawks Branson and his co-conspirators allegedly killed.
Branson’s attorney contested these claims, stating the number of birds killed was exaggerated. The 3,600 bird death toll was claimed by co-defendant Simon Paul, who remains at large. Branson’s attorney argued that public outcry was fueled by these inflated numbers.
“It is notable that Mr. Paul himself went from a 3,600 to 1,000 bird estimate,” wrote Federal Defender Andrew Nelson, referencing Paul’s statement to authorities during a March 13, 2021, traffic stop.
Nelson also argued that restitution for the hawks was unwarranted as these killings were not included in last year’s grand jury indictment. Branson has no prior criminal history and is seeking a probation sentence.
Branson and Paul were raised in the Flathead Reservation area, and since their indictment, Paul has been hiding in Canada, evading justice, according to Nelson.
Investigators documented the minimum number of eagles and hawks killed through Branson’s text messages. Two years of messages were not recovered, leading prosecutors to claim the “full scope of Branson’s killings is not captured.”
Bald and golden eagles are sacred to many Native Americans, and U.S. law prohibits anyone without a permit from killing, wounding, or disturbing eagles, or taking their nests or eggs.
Illegal shootings are a leading cause of golden eagle deaths, according to a recent government study.
Members of federally recognized tribes can obtain feathers and other bird parts legally through the National Eagle Repository in Colorado and non-government repositories in Oklahoma and Phoenix, though there is a significant backlog of requests.
Branson pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, wildlife trafficking, and two counts of trafficking federally protected bald and golden eagles. He faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the most serious charge, conspiracy. Under a plea deal, prosecutors will seek to dismiss additional trafficking charges.
Federal guidelines suggest a sentence of roughly three to four years in prison for Branson.
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