U.S. District Judge Susan Watters in Billings sentenced Harvey Hugs, 60, after pleading guilty in September to being a felon in possession of firearms. According to prosecutors, Hardin used the guns to shoot federally protected eagles for more than a year.
He sold the bird parts to an informant for profit. According to court documents, a 2021 search of Hugs’ home and vehicles turned up eagle parts, two rifles, and ammunition. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said that investigators recovered parts of up to 21 different eagles.
“While it is unknown how many eagles Hugs took by shooting or trapping, the location, type, and amount of evidence reflect his criminal enterprise was expansive and protracted,” prosecutors wrote in recommending a prison sentence.
Hugs sentencing happened last June in Rapid City, South Dakota. He is to spend three years in federal prison after his conviction for trafficking golden eagle feathers, wings, and tails and for the violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
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According to court documents, he will serve the two sentences concurrently. The public defender in the Montana case is attorney Edward Werner. He did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages seeking comment.
It is not Hugs’ run-in with the law. He has an extensive criminal record, including convictions for involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of police, and criminal trespassing.
In 2012, he faced sentencing in a federal court in Montana to six months in custody for coordinating the illegal purchase of eagle feathers, tails, wings, and two hawk tails, court documents show.
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His latest prison sentence comes weeks after two men were indicted in Montana over another alleged eagle-killing scheme. According to authorities, it resulted in the deaths of about 3,600 birds, including golden and bald eagles, on and around the Flathead Indian Reservation.
One of the defendants in that case, Simon Paul, is on the run from authorities after failing to attend a January 8 initial court appearance. His failure to be present forced a judge to issue an arrest warrant.
Possessing, using, or selling eagles or their parts in the U.S. is illegal. However, there are exceptions for cultural institutions and Native Americans using them in religious ceremonies. Federal officials operate a clearinghouse that makes eagle feathers and other parts available to tribal members, authorized zoos, and museums.
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Men like Hugs will continue to go after animals like eagles as they have always done. However, with every sentencing, that is one less poacher roaming free and more animals assured safety.
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