59-year-old Harvey Hugs has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for killing eagles and selling their feathers in South Dakota.
In late 2020, Hugs killed 14 golden eagles and sold their feathers and other body parts to buyers in South Dakota. In March 2021, investigators searched Hugs’ home and found several eagle tails and wings. A lab later genetically matched these to the items sold in South Dakota.
A jury found Hugs guilty on three counts of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act in a February 2023 trial. This act makes it a crime for anyone to take, sell or purchase bald or golden eagles and any parts and feathers of eagles.
Hugs was convicted in a similar scheme in 2012. He was sentenced to one year in prison and two years of supervised release in that case.