MISSOULA, Mont. — A Washington state man accused of running a wildlife trafficking ring on a Native American reservation that killed thousands of eagles and hawks to sell on the black market was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years in prison.

The trafficking ring operated for years on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana, exploiting high demand among tribal members for feathers and other bird parts used in powwows and sacred ceremonies.

The defendant and others killed at least 118 eagles, 107 hawks and up to 3,600 birds in total, prosecutors said.

Young golden eagles in particular have been targeted because their black and white feathers are highly sought after by Native Americans, officials said.

The poaching operation focused on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana, which researchers say is home to some of the highest concentrations of eagles and other birds of prey in the United States. United. Members of the trafficking network would dump carcasses of elk, calves and deer, then shoot eagles that came to feed on them, officials said.

They also shot hawks opportunistically from utility poles and other perches.

Travis John Branson, 49, of Cusick, Washington, pleaded guilty in March on conspiracy and wildlife trafficking charges.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen in Missoula said during his sentencing hearing that Branson’s bird killing was calculated, extensive and carried out with full knowledge that he was breaking the law.

“If you hadn’t been arrested, you would still be doing it today,” the judge said. Christensen ordered Branson to pay $777,250 in restitution: $5,000 for each eagle killed and $1,750 for each hawk.

The sentence was at the high end of federal sentencing guidelines.

Before being sentenced, Branson apologized to the court and his family.

“It’s my fault,” he said. “I know what I did was wrong.”

In text messages obtained by investigators and presented at the sentencing hearing, Branson spoke of bird killings dating back to the 1980s.

“There are so many I can’t remember LOL,” Branson said in a text.

Other texts described eagles being shot in Nevada and Idaho and cases of dozens of birds being shot over a single weekend.

“This is just a small snapshot of the killings that were happening,” Mona Iannelli, a special agent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said at the hearing.

A second defendant in the case told authorities the trafficking ring had been operating since 2009, killing 300 to 400 birds a year.

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said other people were also involved.

But Branson was described during Thursday’s hearing as the organizer of the trafficking ring – telling others where and when to slaughter the birds, then arranging the sale of their feathers and parts.

“His lack of respect for the sanctity of these protected birds was motivated by one thing: greed,” U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said after the hearing.

Laslovich added that those who purchased the feathers shared responsibility for the murders. The prosecutor said he wanted to warn buyers that their conduct constitutes a federal crime.

Prosecutors had asked the judge to impose a “significant” prison sentence and order Branson to pay restitution.

He faces up to five years in prison for conspiracy. His public defender asked for a probation sentence and claimed prosecutors overestimated the number of birds killed.

Federal defender Andrew Nelson also challenged the restitution amount, saying it was too high for the eagles and that hawks should not be considered.

Christensen rejected these arguments.

Branson had no criminal history, according to Nelson. He grew up on the Flathead Reservation, home of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Because of the criminal charges, he lost his job as a maintenance supervisor for the Kalispel Tribe in Washington and suffered a stroke in April, Nelson said.

The large number of birds killed in this case highlights the persistence of a problem a thriving illegal trade in eagle feathers despite law enforcement efforts over the past decade that have resulted in dozens of criminal indictments across the Western and Midwestern United States.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson said the loss of so many birds of prey from the Flathead Reservation will be felt for years to come. The eagles are important to the reservation’s ecosystem as well as the cultural and spiritual practices of tribal members, he said.

“We hope this will help put an end to illegal poaching on our native lands,” Dolson said.

Bald eagles, once highly threatened by the pesticide DDT, have rebounded in recent decades and are now abundant. The recovery of golden eagles has been more tenuous and researchers have warned that the population is on the verge of decline because of the shootings, poisoningselectrocutions on power lines, collisions with wind turbines and other threats.

It is illegal to buy or sell eagle feathers or other parts. The government sought to offset the high demand for feathers among Native Americans by providing them free from a government depository. But they are unable to meet the demand and the repository is several years behind schedule.

Branson made between $180,000 and $360,000 between 2009 and 2021 by illegally selling bald eagle and golden eagle parts, according to court records.

Christensen allowed Branson to remain out of custody until he reported to prison. The accused made an obscene gesture to journalists as he left the courthouse, without further comment.

He waived his right to appeal Thursday’s sentence, as part of a plea agreement that included dismissal of the additional charges.

The second defendant, Simon Paul, of St. Ignatius, Montana, remains at liberty. A federal judge issued a warrant for Paul’s arrest in December after he failed to appear at an initial court hearing. Court documents suggest he fled to Canada.

Federally recognized tribes may apply for a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take a bald or golden eagle for religious purposes. Enrolled tribal members may request feathers and other bird parts from the National Eagle Repository in Colorado and non-governmental repositories in Oklahoma and Arizona.