A Montana livestock ranch owner pleaded guilty to felony crimes after scheming to clone and breed giant hybrid sheep to be sold to game ranches, mainly in Texas.
A Vaughn, Montana, livestock ranch owner pleaded guilty in federal court on Tuesday to running a scheme to create, breed and sell giant sheep to be captive hunting facilities where they could ultimately be killed. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that 80-year-old Arthur 'Jack' Schubarth pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and substantially violating it.
Schubarth would sell the livestock to captive hunting operations or shooting preserves and game ranches. 'This was an audacious scheme to create massive hybrid sheep species to be sold and hunted as trophies,' Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said. 'In pursuit of this scheme, Schubarth violated international law and the Lacey Act, both of which protect the viability and health of native populations of animals.
The DOJ said Marco Polo sheep can grow to over 300 pounds with horns spanning over 5 feet wide. The sheep are native to the Pamir region of Central Asia, at high elevations. Schubarth was accused of sending genetic material from the sheep parts to a lab in order to create cloned embryos, which were then placed in ewes on his ranch. As a result, a single, pure male, Marco Polo was created, which he named 'Montana Mountain King,' or 'MMK.
The kind of crime we uncovered here could threaten the integrity of our wildlife species in Montana,' Ron Howell, Chief of Enforcement for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said. 'This was a complex case and the partnership between us and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was critical in solving it.' Schubarth faces up to five years in prison for each felony count, along with a fine up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
Boyi Gan lab - Houston, Texas (US) job with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterNew postdoctoral positions are open in a cancer research laboratory located within The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Les mer »
Texas Poor People's Campaign hosts mass assembly at Texas Capitol Saturday afternoonThe Texas Poor People's Campaign hosted a mass assembly at the Texas Capitol to demand that legislators end death by poverty.This event launched a 40-week effo
Les mer »
Texas Attorney General sues State Fair of Texas and 4 venuesThe lawsuits are filed against the State Fair of Texas, Meow Wolf in Grapevine, The Lucky Duck in San Antonio, the Factory in Deep Ellum and Texas Trust CU...
Les mer »
Texas bluebonnets already blooming in North TexasA combination of rain and warmer temperatures means some bluebonnets are already starting to bloom in parts of North Texas.
Les mer »
2 killed, 1 injured in National Guard copter crash near US-Mexico border: OfficialTexas law enforcement officials said a helicopter went down in La Grulla, Texas.
Les mer »
Three groups sue TxDOT over I-35 Capital Express expansion projectsThe Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG), Environment Texas, and the Rethink35 campaign has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transporta
Les mer »