Man posed for photo with bald eagle he ‘slaughtered’ and then kept a feather, feds say
A Louisiana man accused of keeping a feather from a bald eagle he “slaughtered” is headed to prison, according to federal authorities.
A magistrate judge sentenced Daniel Smith, 20, of Homer to 30 days in prison after he was found in possession of a bald eagle feather in 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced in a news release.
Smith’s 30-day stay will be followed by a year of supervised release, prosecutors said.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries launched an investigation after learning Smith had posed for a photo with the dead eagle.
Agents secured a search warrant for his 2011 white Dodge where they “discovered one bald eagle feather in the center console,” according to documents related to a plea agreement obtained by McClatchy News.
In his interview with investigators, Smith “admitted that he killed the bald eagle” and decided to keep a feather, prosecutors said in the release. They said he was previously placed on probation for hunting violations involving other species.
The bald eagle has been the national symbol of the United States for 240 years.
“The American Bald Eagle is a symbol of our American freedom,” U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown said in a statement. “This defendant did not take this symbol seriously, nor the laws that prohibit anyone from killing or possessing even a feather of a bald eagle.”
What’s the penalty for killing a bald eagle?
The bald eagle was once considered an endangered species and remains protected under federal law, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. These protections extend to their eggs, nests, feathers and other parts.
Those convicted of trying to take, sell, barter or transport a bald eagle face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the agency’s website says. A repeat offender faces a felony, which carries a maximum two-year sentence and a $250,000 fine.
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act goes a step further by outlawing the “taking, killing, possession, transportation, and importation of migratory birds (including bald eagles), their eggs, parts and nests,” unless authorized under a permit.
Penalties for taking and killing a bald eagle include a maximum two years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine for a felony conviction, according to FWS.
This story was originally published February 17, 2022 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Man posed for photo with bald eagle he ‘slaughtered’ and then kept a feather, feds say."