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MISSOULA — A Cusick man was sentenced to three years and 10 months in federal prison for killing and selling eagle parts on the black market, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said in a news release.
Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, and formerly of the Flathead Reservation, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles and violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits interstate trade in wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of federal or state law.
Branson. who conspired to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles and hawks on the Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on the black market, was sentenced to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution.
The Lacey Act also prohibits any person from making or submitting any false record, account, label for or identification of wildlife that has been or was intended to be transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen ordered Branson to self-report to the Bureau of Prisons.
“The bald eagle, adopted as America’s national symbol in 1782, represents our country’s core ideals of freedom, strength, and justice.
Once on the brink of extinction, eagles recovered only because of conservation efforts by the American people and federal laws protecting them.
None of that mattered to Travis Branson. Instead, Branson went on self-described ‘killing sprees’ for thousands of eagles and hawks, butchered them, and sold the parts and feathers for profit on the black market. He knew he was committing felonies and even joked his cost to kill them was the price of a bullet. But his conduct was no laughing matter. With today’s sentence, the cost to Branson was more than a bunch of bullets – he forfeited the very freedom the bald eagle symbolizes,” U.S.
Attorney Laslovich said in a news release.
“Travis Branson’s blatant disregard for the law and the sanctity of these protected species highlights the urgent need for stringent enforcement and greater public awareness regarding wildlife trafficking,” said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “His actions are particularly egregious, considering the significant number of bald and golden eagles he killed for personal profit.”
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson said that the impacts of the loss of the raptors will be felt for years.
“We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation’s raptor loss for years to come,” Dolson said. “We hope this helps put a stop to illegal poaching on our homelands and gives these birds a chance to recover. Eagles are not only a treasured and important part of the Reservation’s ecosystem, but they also have a profound place in CSKT cultural and spiritual practices.”
In court documents, the government alleged that from about January 2015 until about March 2021, Branson and others hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Reservation. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the United States and elsewhere. Brandon traveled from Washington to the Flathead Reservation, where he met co-defendant, Simon Paul. Branson and Paul would then shoot, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Co-defendant Paul remains a fugitive.
The government sought restitution values of $5,000 per eagle and $1,750 per hawk.
The government estimated that from 2009 until 2021, Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 by selling eagles feathers and parts for profit on the black market.
The government’s investigation showed that Branson and others killed approximately 3,600 birds during the conspiracy. At least 118 eagles and 107 hawks killed were directly traceable to Branson and documented through his own text messages. Branson had taken up to nine eagles at a time. The photograph below shows nine sets of feathers, with one set stacked on top of the other in the upper left corner.
Law enforcement also recovered text messages from Branson stating he was specifically looking to shoot a baby eagle.
Not only did Branson kill eagles, but he also butchered them into pieces to sell. On March 13, 2021, Branson shot and killed a golden eagle near Polson. Law enforcement stopped Branson and recovered from Branson’s vehicle the feet and feathers of the golden eagle and later recovered the remainder of the carcass in a field. The claws are identified here: Branson knew killing and selling eagles was illegal and that he did not have a permit for any of the activities. When negotiating a purchase price for eagle feathers with a potential buyer, Branson said, “I don’t get em for free though ..out hear committing felonies” Branson told another potential buyer he would obtain other eagle tails by “[g]oing on a killing spree.”
Further, Branson acknowledged that international shipping was illegal.
“International is still illegal ..I just get em for 99 cents ..price of a bullet..lol” The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Fish and Game Department conducted the investigation.
