MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A Washington state man accused of leading 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 northwestern Montana, exploiting high demand among tribal members for feathers and other bird parts used in sacred gatherings and ceremonies.

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

Juvenile golden eagles in particular were targeted because their black and white feathers are highly desired among Native Americans, authorities said.

The poaching operation focused on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana, which researchers say has some of the highest concentrations of eagles and other birds of prey in the U.S. Members of the trafficking ring exposed carcasses of elk, calves and deer, and then shooting eagles that came to feed on them, officials said.

They would also shoot hawks opportunistically from power poles and other positions.

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

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

“If he hadn’t been caught, he 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 wrote about the killing of birds since the 1980s.

“So many I can’t remember anymore lol,” Branson said in a text message.

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

“This is just a small snapshot of the carnage that was going on,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Mona Iannelli said during the hearing.

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

Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office have said others were also involved.

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

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

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

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

He faced up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. His public defender asked for a sentence of probation and claimed that prosecutors exaggerated the number of birds euthanized.

Federal Defender Andrew Nelson also questioned the restitution amount, saying it was too high for the eagles and that the hawks should not be counted.

Christensen rejected the arguments.

Branson had no criminal record, 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 dead birds in the case underscores the persistence of a thriving illegal trade in eagle feathers despite law enforcement efforts over the past decade that generated 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. Eagles are important to the reservation’s ecosystem and also to the cultural and spiritual practices of tribal members, he said.

“We hope this will help put an end to illegal poaching in our territories,” Dolson said.

Bald eagles, once greatly endangered by the pesticide DDT, have recovered in recent decades and are now abundant. The recovery of the golden eagle has been dimmer and researchers have warned that the population is on the brink of decline due to 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 has tried to offset the strong demand for feathers among Native Americans by providing them free of charge from a government warehouse. But they can’t keep up with demand and the repository is years behind schedule.

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

Christensen allowed Branson to remain in custody until he reports to prison. The accused made an obscene gesture at journalists as he left the court without making further comments.

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

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

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

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