Judge issues arrest warrant for man accused of killing thousands of bald eagles

A federal judge issued an arrest warrant this week for a man whose court records show failed to appear for a court appearance on charges he and a co-defendant slaughtered more than 3,600 protected birds, including bald eagles, and sold them on the black market.

Simon Paul, 42, and Travis John Branson, 48, are accused of killing the birds on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana and elsewhere, court documents filed last month in U.S. District Court in Missoula show. Killing the protected wildlife is a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto issued a warrant for Paul, of St. Ignatius, Montana, after he failed to appear for arraignment on Monday, court records obtained by USA TODAY show.

Online records also show Branson, of Cusick, Washington, pleaded not guilty to his respective charges in connection to the case.

Branson was released by the judge, online records show, on conditions including that he reappear for his next court hearing and not commit any further crimes.

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A six-year killing period

According to an indictment filed on Dec. 7, the hunters illegally shot the birds and sold parts or all of the eagles between January 2015 and March 2021.

Paul and Branson are charged with violating the Lacey Act, a law that bans the trafficking of illegally taken wildlife, fish, or plants. The men also face more than a dozen counts of trafficking bald and golden eagles, and one count of conspiracy, court records show.

A Golden Eagle tail, a PayPal purchase and a shipment

According to court papers, in December 2020, Branson sent a text with a picture of a golden eagle tail set to a purchaser and got a PayPal purchase that same day. Two days later, he shipped the set to Texas, and a couple of days later, he received a PayPal payment for it.

Prosecutors said Branson and Paul also allegedly used a dead deer to bait eagles so they could shoot them.

Court papers say Branson also reportedly bragged about going "on a killing spree" and about the "significant sums of cash" the pair made from the sale of the slaughtered birds.

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America's national emblem

The national emblem of the United States since 1782, the bald eagle was an endangered species until 2007 after the bird's population began to recover.

Under the Bald Eagle Protection Act, killing the iconic bird is prohibited. The law enacted in 1940 makes it a criminal offense to "take" any part of a bald eagle, which includes killing one.

Contributing: Sarah Al-Arshani.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.