MISSOULA, Mont. – A Washington man is facing charges on suspicion of killing 3,600 birds, primarily bald and golden eagles, from the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Travis John Branson, 48, of Cusick, and a second suspect, Simon Paul, are accused of conspiring to kill and sell bald and golden eagles from the Flathead Indian Reservation from Jan. 2015 to about March 2021. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Montana, text messages recovered by investigators state Branson was “[O]ut [here] committing felonies.” Texts also show Branson told buyers he was on “a killing spree” to obtain eagle tail feathers.
Paul failed to appear to his arraignment, and the court ordered a warrant for his arrest.
According to the Attorney’s Office, Branson and Paul killed approximately 3,600 birds, then sold the eagle feathers and pars on the black market.
The indictment states that on Dec. 17, 2020, Branson allegedly sent a photo to a buyer of a golden eagle tail set. That same day, Branson received a PayPal purchase for that exact set. Paul mailed the golden eagle set from St. Ignatius, Montana, to Texas two days later. Then, on Dec. 21, 2020, Branson received a text from the buyer saying, “Got that thang from Simon. And the mirror feathers. Tnks.”
Branson pleaded not guilty to the charges. He faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
“The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was enacted in 1940 to protect the bald eagle, recognizing that the bald eagle is not only a bird of biological interest but also this country’s national symbol. In 1962, Congress extended the Act to protect golden eagles,” the Attorney’s Office of Montana said.
