Washington man sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison for conspiring to kill eagles, hawks to sell on black market

SPOKANE — A 49-year-old Cusick man was sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for conspiring to hunt and kill bald and golden eagles and hawks on the Flathead Indian Reservation to sell on the black market, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office — District of Montana.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen sentenced Travis J. Branson Thursday to three years and 10 months in prison, and ordered him to pay $777,250 in restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said in a news release.

Branson, 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, the release said.

“The bald eagle, adopted as America’s national symbol in 1782, represents our country’s core ideals of freedom, strength, and justice,” Laslovich said in the release. “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.”

The investigation, conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Fish and Game Department, showed Branson and others killed about 3,600 birds during the conspiracy, according to the release. At least 118 eagles and 107 hawks killed were traceable to Branson and documented through his text messages.

According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, there were some 316,700 bald eagles across the United States in 2020. They are a protected species.

“We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation’s raptor loss for years to come,” Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson said in the release. “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.”

The government said in court documents that Branson and others hunted and killed eagles from about January 2015 until about March 2021 on the Flathead Reservation, the release said. Branson then sold the eagles on the black market across the U.S. and elsewhere.

Branson traveled from Washington to the Indian reservation where he met Simon Paul, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Branson and Paul shot, transported and shipped bald and golden eagles for future black-market sales. Paul remains a fugitive.

The government estimated Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 from 2009 until 2021 by selling eagle feathers and parts for profit on the black market.

Branson shot and killed a golden eagle in March 2021 near Polson, Montana, the release said. Law enforcement stopped Branson and recovered the feet and feathers of the golden eagle from his vehicle and later recovered the remainder of the carcass in a field.

When negotiating a purchase price for eagle feathers with a potential buyer, Branson said in a message, “I don’t get em for free though … out hear committing felonies.”

Branson will serve three years of supervised release after prison.

“The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation’s cherished natural heritage,” Edward Grace, assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement, said in the 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. His actions are particularly egregious, considering the significant number of bald and golden eagles he killed for personal profit, and such behavior will not be tolerated.”