A man from Cusick, Washington, is set to be sentenced in federal court for his involvement in a wildlife trafficking ring that operated on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana and other locations. Court documents reveal that the man, identified as Travis John Branson, played a role in the killing of at least 118 eagles to sell their feathers and body parts on the black market.
Prosecutors allege that Branson made substantial profits, ranging from $180,000 to $360,000, between 2009 and 2021 by illegally selling bald and golden eagle parts. The court filing states that Branson would often take multiple eagles at a time and even went as far as hacking the birds into pieces to maximize his profits.
