Men charged with ‘killing spree’ of 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles, in Montana

Simon Paul, 42, and John Branson, 48, are facing federal charges for allegedly violating wildlife law in Montana

An American bald eagle flies over Mill Pond on July 29, 2018 in Centerport, New York. (Getty Images)

Two men are facing federal charges for allegedly running a years-long “killing spree” conspiracy of thousands of birds in Montana.

Simon Paul, 42, and 48-year-old John Branson are facing one count each of conspiracy and violation of wildlife laws, as well as 13 counts of unlawful trafficking of eagles, according to a Department of Justice indictment reviewed by The Independent.

Prosecutors claimed that Mr Paul and Mr Branson hunted and killed more than 3,600 birds, including bald and golden eagles, at the Flathead Indian Reservation and surroundings. They allegedly sold the birds on the black market for large sums of money and shipped them to buyers in the US and overseas.

The defendants allegedly operated the scheme between 2015 and 2021.

According to court documents filed earlier this month, the suspects sent text messages to buyers admitting that they were on “a killing spree” and “out [there] committing felonies.” The indictment described Mr Paul, who lived in Ronan, as the “killer” and “shipper,” while Mr Branson, who resided in Washington state, would sometimes join him within the borders of the reservation to allegedly help kill the birds.

The suspects allegedly used a dead deer to lure in eagles. They then sold the bird’s feathers and received payments via PayPal, per the indictment.

Mr Paul and Mr Branson are accused of violating the Eagle Protection Act, which was enacted in 1940 to protect bald eagles, and was extended two decades later to protect the gold eagle as well. Hunting and killing eagles, or even taking feathers found in the wild, is considered a crime in the US.

The Flathead Reservation is home to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and tribal law enforcement was part of the investigation.

“We just hope that if these individuals are proven guilty that it will serve as a warning to others that we are watching,” Rich Janssen, director of the tribes’ Natural Resources Department told The Associated Press.

The bald eagle is the US’s national symbol and both bald and golden eagles are considered scared by tribal communities.

There are an estimated 346,000 bald eagles in the US and about 40,000 golden eagles.

Mr Janssen told the AP that the eagles’ feathers are used for traditional dress and in honour ceremonies.

Mr Paul and Mr Branson are scheduled to be arraigned on 8 January.

They face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy charge, and up to a five-year sentence and a $20,000 fine for violating wildlife law.