Man accused of helping to kill over 3,000 birds set to plead guilty

Travis John Branson allegedly sold bald and golden eagle parts and feathers for large sums of money

Two bald eagles swoop in to catch a coot in its talons at Orlando Wetlands Park in Christmas, Florida (AFP via Getty Images)

A man accused of helping to kill more than three thousand birds on a Montana Indian reservation is reportedly set to plead guilty to wildlife trafficking charges, after also allegedly selling their carcasses and feathers.

Travis John Branson, from Washington state, allegedly worked with another man to kill bald and golden eagles on the Flathead Indian Reservation for over six years between 2015 and 2021.

Federal prosecutors said Mr Branson, 48, conspired with co-defendant Simon Paul to kill approximately 3,600 birds over that time. They then sold the feathers and bodies on the black market “for significant sums of cash”.

After pleading not guilty to allegations of conspiracy, unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and Lacey Act violations in January, it was reported on Wednesday that Mr Banson had decided to plead guilty instead, in a deal for reduced charges.

Mr Simon remains at large, the report said, after failing to appear for that hearing earlier this year.

Investigators discovered messages between the two defendants and others, boasting about what they were doing and calling it “a killing spree”.

One example set out in the indictment against Mr Branson explained how he had sent a photo of a golden eagle tail to a purchaser on 17 December 2020. That same day, he received a PayPal payment for the item, which he shipped from Montana to Texas two days later.

Bald and Golden Eagles are both protected under a law enacted in 1940, with criminal penalties for anyone involved in transporting, selling or purchasing the birds alive or dead.

Only tribes with permits from the US Fish and Wildlife Service can take a bird for religious purposes, while feathers can be claimed from the National Eagle Repository.