Washington man sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for trafficking eagles, hawks killed on the Flathead Indian Reservation and sold on black market

Press Release

MISSOULA - A Washington man 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 today to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

The defendant, Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, 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. 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 presided. The court 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.

"The unlawful killing of these majestic birds violates federal law and is a profound offense against our nation's cherished natural heritage," said Edward Grace, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. "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. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect America's wildlife and hold accountable all who are engaged in these illicit activities."

"We are going to feel the impacts of the Flathead Reservation's raptor loss for years to come," said Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson. "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.

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Updated October 31, 2024