HARDIN, MT – Harvey Alvin Hugs, 60, is headed to federal prison for three years after admitting to illegally possessing firearms and using them to slaughter eagles, then selling the birds’ remains for profit. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters, will be followed by three years of supervised release. The feds say Hugs wasn’t just a hunter; he was a predator exploiting protected species for a quick buck.
Court documents reveal Hugs was already a prohibited person, convicted of felony involuntary manslaughter in 2002 and two separate state felony convictions in Big Horn County in 2014. Despite this, he stockpiled firearms and embarked on a year-long spree of eagle killings. The investigation, a joint effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, uncovered a disturbing pattern: Hugs systematically harvested eagle parts and sold them to a single informant.
A March 2021 raid on Hugs’ property turned up a grim haul. Officers found ammunition inside his home, a loaded rifle, spent casings, and eagle remains in his white Chevrolet Silverado. Another rifle, more ammunition, spent shells, and eagle feathers were discovered in his red Chevrolet Silverado. The final tally was chilling: body parts from 21 different eagles. This wasn’t recreational hunting; it was a calculated, criminal enterprise.
The case wasn’t limited to firearms violations. Hugs also faced justice in South Dakota, where a jury convicted him on three counts of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act for selling and shipping eagle parts to the same informant. He received a three-year sentence there – one year for each count, to be served concurrently with the Montana sentence – and was ordered to pay $70,000 in restitution, an amount he is currently appealing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla E. Painter led the prosecution. The government framed Hugs’ South Dakota conviction as “relevant conduct” to bolster the firearms charge, essentially using his wildlife crimes to strengthen the federal case against him. This sentencing is part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” program, a nationwide initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. Whether it will truly make a dent in the problem remains to be seen.
The ATF, along with its partner agencies, is sending a message: exploiting protected wildlife and illegally possessing firearms will not be tolerated. For Harvey Hugs, that message came with a three-year prison sentence and a ruined reputation. The feds are hoping it serves as a deterrent to others contemplating similar crimes in Montana’s vast wilderness.
Related Federal Cases
- Montana Man Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearm · California
- David Edward Petersdorf, Handgun Possession, SD 2020 · Montana
- Toby Acevedo, Illegal Firearm Possession, South Dakota 2023 · Montana
- Wilson Gets Four Years for Illegal Gun · Montana
- Mack Harris, Gun Possession, Montana 2024 · New Mexico
Key Facts
- Agency: ATF
- Category: Weapons
- Source: Official Press Release
Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
WeaponsWeaponsWeaponsWeapons