ILLINOIS MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGALLY SELLING PROTECTED BIRDS

Joseph Taylor of Mahomet, Illinois, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Urbana, Illinois, for illegally selling mounts of migratory birds in violation of Federal wildlife laws. Taylor will pay a $3,000 fine plus court costs, with three years’ probation for his activities. In addition, Taylor’s business, Taylor Studios, Inc., must pay a $3,000 fine and court costs; the business is also under 3 years’ probation. The sentence was issued by Judge Harold Baker.

Both Taylor and his museum fabrication business are prohibited from acquiring, possessing, selling, brokering, or otherwise dealing with migratory birds, their parts, nests, or eggs during probation. In addition, Taylor must allow U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agents to inspect his records to ensure compliance with probation.

An investigation by special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uncovered Taylor’s illegal activities. Taylor, through his business, was involved in the purchase of taxidermy mounts, which were then sold to various public, scientific, and educational institutions in the Midwest. The mounts were used in dioramas and other museum and interpretive displays.

Wildlife laws such as the Lacey Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibit sale of migratory birds, as well as interstate transport of wildlife obtained in violation of state or Federal laws.

“Probably the most important protection these laws provide is protecting wildlife such as migratory game birds from commercialization for profit,” said Service special agent Timothy Santel. “By enforcing wildlife laws, we are trying to ensure that we will all have the opportunity to enjoy these resources in the future.”

Santel and special agent Dan Burleson found that Taylor, acting under the guise of providing a taxidermy service, was purchasing migratory bird mounts and then reselling them to customers. The agents discovered that Taylor’s state taxidermy license had already been revoked for similar wildlife violations. An investigation into the source of Taylor’s supply of migratory birds is continuing.

Taylor pleaded guilty in October 1997 to violation of the Lacey Act, a Federal wildlife law that prohibits sale, possession, and transport of illegally obtained wildlife. Taylor transported six bird mounts, including songbirds, a great-horned owl, red-tailed hawk, and waterfowl, from Illinois to Michigan. The mounts were purchased and resold by Taylor in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which protects waterfowl, songbirds, hawks, owls, and many other game and non-game bird species. In addition, Taylor’s business pleaded guilty to unlawfully selling migratory bird mounts, including waterfowl killed by hunters, to a museum in Michigan.

Maximum penalties for misdemeanor violations of the Lacey Act can result in a fine of up to $100,000 and/or 1 year in prison. Misdemeanor violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act carry maximum penalties of $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for organizations, up to six months in prison, and possible loss of hunting privileges. Enforced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the act was passed in 1916 to stop the decline of bird populations which were being decimated by market hunters seeking meat, as well as feathers for the fashion industry. Amended most recently in 1989, the act regulates sport hunting of migratory game birds and provides full protection for many other species of migratory birds.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov