A 44-year-old member of the Tulalip Tribes has been sentenced to 111 days in prison and two years of supervised release for clubbing two bald eagles to death, and then attempting to sell them.
Shane Moses pleaded guilty in May 2015 to violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits trafficking in “illegal” wildlife, fish, and plants.
The bald eagles were found in Tulalip Bay on December 27, 2013, and were clubbed in the head with a gaff, fracturing their skulls. Moses then attempted to sell the dead birds, but was stopped by the Tulalip Tribal Police.
One of the eagles was dead when seized by the police, while the other was suffering and was euthanized due to the injuries inflicted by Moses.
The case was investigated by the Tulalip Tribal Police and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, with Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes stated, “The bald eagle is sacred to our Northwest Tribes and a symbol revered across our country. The wanton clubbing of two of these majestic creatures is wrong and was punished today.”
Chief U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman added, “The destruction of these eagles is disturbing because they are a symbol of our country and because they are sacred to the tribes of our community.”
Moses was sentenced on in U.S. District Court in Seattle, Washington.
Related Federal Cases
- Willard Maldonado, Bald Eagle Protection Act Violation, Washington 2015 · Florida
- Nancy Black, Feeding Whales in Marine Sanctuary, California 2013 · Florida
- Jin Zhao Feng, Rhino Horn Trafficking, California 2012 · Colorado
- Christian Matthew Manley, Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding Law Enforcement Officers, Washington 2021 · Florida
- Eric Christie, Assault, Washington 2021 · Kansas
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Wildlife Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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