Federal prosecutors announced this week that a 71-year-old Texas resident has been sentenced in connection with a major illegal eagle trafficking investigation tied to Montana and the Flathead Indian Reservation.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, John Patrick Butler of Humble, Texas, received five years of probation and was ordered to pay $77,500 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy, unlawful trafficking of bald and golden eagles, and purchasing illegally killed eagles and eagle parts in violation of the Lacey Act.
Investigators say Butler was part of a broader wildlife trafficking network involving co-defendants Travis John Branson, Simon Paul, and others who illegally hunted and killed eagles on the Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere in Montana. Court documents described an organized black-market trade in eagle feathers and parts that were shipped across state lines for cash payments using PayPal and other online methods.
Federal authorities alleged that approximately 3,600 birds were killed as part of the larger operation, including bald and golden eagles. Investigators uncovered text messages in which participants allegedly discussed “committing felonies” and obtaining eagle tail feathers for future sales.
Court records detailed multiple transactions between Butler and the Montana-based traffickers between late 2020 and early 2021. Prosecutors said Butler purchased several golden eagle and bald eagle tail sets, with shipments sent through the U.S. Postal Service from Montana to Texas.
The case highlights the serious federal protections surrounding bald and golden eagles in the United States. Bald eagles have been protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act since 1940, with golden eagles added in 1962. Violations involving protected raptors can also trigger charges under the Lacey Act and other federal wildlife trafficking laws.
For hunters, the case serves as another reminder that wildlife crimes involving protected species bring significant federal attention and penalties. While lawful hunting remains a core part of North American wildlife conservation, trafficking in protected birds and illegally selling wildlife parts is treated separately from legal hunting activity and is aggressively prosecuted by federal authorities.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
