TULALIP — A Tulalip man has been indicted on federal wildlife violations after being accused of clubbing to death two female bald eagles in 2013.
Federal prosecutors allege that Shane W. Moses, 45, planned to sell the protected birds. He is scheduled to appear later this month in U.S. District Court in Seattle to answer to three crimes, including a violation of the Lacey Act and two violations of Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
It is against the law to capture, hunt, possess or sell bald eagles. The Lacey Act bans the sale or trade of wildlife and plants that have been taken illegally.
Prosecutors allege that Moses was crabbing on Tulalip Bay in December 2013 when he encountered two female adult bald eagles. One of the birds weighed about 15 pounds and the other was about 12 pounds.
Moses allegedly clubbed the eagles in the head, according to court papers filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court. The documents don’t specify how he managed to get close enough to club the birds. The biggest was killed immediately and the second eventually died. Prosecutors allege Moses placed both eagles in a bucket and later took the eagles to a prospective buyer.
Court documents do not name the buyer or say if the sale went through.
Tulalip Tribal police investigated the incident. Officers referred the case to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and cooperated with the federal agency’s investigation, Tulalip Tribal Police Chief Carlos Echevarria said in a statement Friday.
“The Tulalip Tribes does not condone the unlawful poaching of animals and will always hold persons accountable to the full extent of the law,” he said.
Bald eagles were removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened species in 2007. However, the birds are protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The two federal laws ban people from possessing the birds or their parts, including feathers.
There are, however, special permits through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that allow Native American tribal members to kill eagles or obtain their parts and feathers to accommodate religious and cultural practices. The feathers and parts may not be sold, only gifted to other Native Americans.
Permits to kill eagles are rare. Meanwhile, there are thousands of tribal members across the country who have obtained permits for feathers and parts.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the National Eagle Repository in Colorado to provide tribal members with eagle feathers for religious purposes.
The feathers are collected from dead birds encountered by wildlife agents or recovered from eagles who die at zoos and other organizations, according to service’s website.
If Moses is convicted, he faces thousands of dollars in fines and possible prison time. He could be forced to forfeit any vehicles, boats or other equipment used to aid in transporting or selling the eagles.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
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