Eagle trafficker pleads guilty; fugitive hunter faces charges in Canada

A Texas man accused of trafficking eagles, some killed on the Flathead Indian Reservation, admitted to charges on Dec. 3. 

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Great Falls, defendant John Patrick Butler, 71, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, two counts of unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles, and one count of purchasing eagles and eagle parts that had been killed illegally, in violation of the Lacey Act.

Butler faces up to five years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Sentencing is set for April 7 before U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen. Butler was released with conditions, pending further proceedings.

One of Butler's suppliers, Travis John Branson of Washington, was sentenced Oct. 31 to three years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $777,250 restitution. His co-defendant, Simon Paul, who is also accused of killings eagles on the reservation and elsewhere, remains at large and now faces similar charges in Canada. 

In the Butler case, the government alleged in court documents that law enforcement uncovered messages from Branson and others describing the illegal taking of eagles by stating, “[O]ut [here] committing felonies,” and telling buyers he was “on a killing spree” to obtain eagle tail feathers for future sales.

Paul, Branson and others, hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Reservation and elsewhere. In total, approximately 3,600 birds were killed, and then illegally sold on the black market for significant sums of cash across the United States and elsewhere.

The killing of eagles is fueled by individuals willing to purchase the eagles on the black market. Butler was one of those purchasers and he requested the killing of specific types of eagles.

For example, Butler inquired of Branson, “Did u ever see any crispy ones yet?” Butler would then purchase eagles from the co-defendants by transferring money through PayPal and other forms of online payment.

In return, the co-defendants sent the eagles, including their parts, through the mail from Montana to Humble, Texas, where Butler resides. Postal records and text messages confirm Butler received the eagles, hawks, and their body parts.

From November 2020 until March 2021, Butler purchased eagles shot in Montana and elsewhere, including golden eagle and bald eagle tail sets.

CSKT Fish and Game Conservation officers initiated the investigation into the killings of eagles and other birds of prey on the reservation, and then continued to work with their federal and state counterparts on the multi-year probe.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Tanner and Ryan Weldon prosecuted the case against Butler. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted the investigation, with assistance from CSKT Law Enforcement.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act was enacted in 1940 to protect the bald eagle, recognizing that the bald eagle is not merely a bird of biological interest, but this country’s national symbol, which reflects America’s ideals of freedom. In 1962, Congress extended the Act to also protect golden eagles.

Paul also faces charges in Canada

According to a story published in the Calgary CityNews on Sept. 18, Simon Paul and four co-conspirators face 34 charges under Alberta’s Wildlife Act and nine federal criminal charges, also for killing birds of prey.

Paul, who allegedly was killing eagles on the Stoney Nakoda and Eden Valley First Nations land and selling wildlife products, is accused of hunting wildlife for which there is no open season, unlawful possession and trafficking of wildlife, possession for the purpose of unlawful trafficking, providing false or misleading information to a fish and wildlife officer, and careless transportation and storage of firearms.

He remains at large.