MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — A Washington state man accused of running a wildlife trafficking ring on a Native American reservation that killed thousands of eagles and falcons to sell on the black market was sentenced Thursday to nearly four years of prison.

The trafficking ring operated for years on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana, exploiting the high demand among tribal members for feathers and other bird parts that are used in powwows and sacred ceremonies.

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

Young golden eagles in particular have been targeted because their black and white feathers are highly coveted by Native Americans, officials said.

The poaching operation focused on the Flathead Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana, which researchers say has some of the highest concentrations of eagles and other birds of prey in the US. shoot the vultures that came to feed on them, officials said.

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

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

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 breaking the law.

“If you hadn’t been caught, you 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 falcon.

The sentence was at the high end of federal sentencing guidelines.

Before he was 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 killing birds as far back as the 1980s.

“So many I can’t remember LOL,” Branson said in one message.

Other texts describe eagles being shot in Nevada and Idaho and cases where dozens of birds were shot in a single weekend.

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

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

Prosecutors at the US Attorney’s Office said others were involved.

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

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

Laslovich added that those who bought the feathers shared responsibility for the killings. The prosecutor said he wanted to put buyers on notice that their conduct was a federal crime.

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

He faces up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge. His public defender asked for a sentence of probation and argued that prosecutors overstated the number of birds killed.

Federal defender Andrew Nelson also challenged the restitution amount, saying it was too much for the eagles and that the falcons 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 birds killed in this case emphasizes the persistence of a the thriving illegal trade in eagle feathers despite law enforcement efforts over the past decade, which has resulted in dozens of criminal charges in the US West and Midwest.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Chairman Mike Dolson said the loss of so many birds of prey on the Flathead Reservation will be felt for years to come. The eagles are important to the reservation’s ecosystem and also to the cultural and spiritual practices of the tribal members, he said.

“We hope this will help stop illegal poaching on our native land,” Dolson said.

Bald eagles, once highly endangered by the pesticide DDT, have rebounded in recent decades and are now abundant. The recovery of the golden eagle has been poorer, and researchers have warned that the population is on the verge of decline due to shootings, poisoning, electrocution on power lines, collisions with wind turbines and other threats.

It is illegal to buy or sell eagle feathers or other parts. The government tried to offset the strong demand for feathers among Native Americans by offering them free from a government warehouse. But they can’t keep up with demand, and the warehouse is backlogged for years.

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

Christensen allowed Branson to remain out of custody until he reports to jail. The defendant made an obscene gesture to reporters as he left the courthouse without further comment.

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, from St. Ignatius, Montana, remains at large. A federal judge issued an arrest warrant for Paul in December after he failed to appear for an initial hearing. Court documents suggested he fled to Canada.

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

— By MATTHEW BROWN and AMY BETH HANSON Associated Press