Simon Paul and Travis John Branson were indicted for allegedly gunning down thousands of birds, including eagles protected by federal law, over the course of several years.
A grand jury indicted two men on charges of going on a yearslong “killing spree” of federally protected eagles and selling “this country’s national symbol” on the black market, court documents revealed.
Simon Paul and Travis John Branson were each charged last week with one count of alleged conspiracy and 13 counts of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Federal prosecutors said they have messages from Branson stating that he was “committing felonies” and “telling buyers he was ‘on a killing spree’ to obtain eagle tail feathers for future sales.”
Branson would travel from Washington state to the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana to meet up with Paul who’d “help kill, transport and ship bald and golden eagles for future sales on the black market,” according to the indictment.
These guys are not part of “the ruling class.” I live in this region and there is a backwards group of local asshats who feel entitled to hunt and kill protected creatures for profit or hunt using illegal methods and leave carcasses to waste for the sheer fun of it. These people are typically working class and this black market hunting would provide them with income they probably would not be able to get otherwise. We have a LOT of wild lands out here, it’s a very rural area.
Question is what class are the buyers part of.
I don’t think that’s what they intended - these scumfucks enrich themselves by supplying the ruling class with these grisly trophies.
As the other person said, who do you think is buying them?