Federal prosecutors are asking a federal judge to sentence a Washington state man up to four years of jail time for poaching bald and golden eagles on the Flathead Reservation.
Travis Branson and a co-defendant in February were indicted on fifteen counts of criminal conspiracy. Prosecutors allege they killed thousands of birds and sold body parts on the black market for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Branson pled guilty to the charges.
Branson is set to be sentenced September 18. Prosecutors say his co-defendant fled the country and remains at large.
Golden and bald eagles are protected under state and federal law. Taking or transporting feathers is outlawed except for religious use by tribal members.
