YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Editor's note: The photo above is a stock photo of a bald eagle. It is not the bald eagle referenced in this story.
David B. Huff, 79, of Dover was sentenced in a Youngstown court today after pleading guilty to a violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
Huff was sentenced to one year of probation and was ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and $1,500 in restitution to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Huff is also banned from hunting for a five-year period. The rifle and ammunition seized during the investigation will be destroyed.
“The prosecution of crimes committed against our district’s wildlife and natural resources, including the national bird of the United States, are important duties of the U. S. Attorney’s Office,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler. “Individuals who senselessly kill bald eagles and other federally protected migratory birds can expect to be punished similarly.”
According to court documents, Huff was conducting inspections for pests and rodents on his farmlands and fields when he shot and killed a bald eagle with a scoped rifle.
“There is no excuse for knowingly shooting and killing a bald eagle,” said Special Agent in Charge John Brooks of the Office of Law Enforcement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Working with our state partners in Ohio, our agents investigated this senseless killing. Thanks to their work, the defendant has lost his hunting rights and will now pay substantial fines.”
The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 prohibits anyone without a permit from shooting bald or golden eagles.
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