Man receives three-year prison sentence for trafficking eagle parts
Luke Gentile
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A Montana man was sentenced to three years in prison on Monday after he was convicted of trafficking eagle feathers, tails, and wings.
Harvey Hugs, 59, was sentenced in a South Dakota federal court after his February conviction of at least three counts of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, according to a report.
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Under the act, the possession, usage, and selling of eagle parts are illegal in the United States, with exceptions being made for specific Native American groups and cultural institutions, the report noted.
A clearinghouse is operated by federal officials so that eagle parts are available for legal use by groups, authorized zoos, and museums.
Hugs was first suspected of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act after authorities received a 2020 tip that he was trafficking Golden Eagle feathers, according to the report.
When his home was searched in March 2021, feathers, tails, and wings were discovered.
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Hugs had sold the tails for hundreds of dollars per tail, and he had sold at least one set of wings and a tail for roughly $1,000.
Feathers had been shipped to South Dakota, the report noted.