An Aberdeen man has been sentenced in federal court for his role in shooting a protected eagle.
69-year-old Timothy Lee Childers pled guilty on April 28th before United States Magistrate Judge David A. Sanders, in Oxford to a one-count Information charging him with shooting a mature bald eagle in violation of the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, a class A misdemeanor. Childers shot and killed the eagle on his property in Monroe County on September 11, 2020.
Following his guilty plea, Childers was sentenced, and ordered to pay restitution to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in the amount of $3,150.00 and a fine in the amount of $3,500.00 to the Lacey Act Reward Account. Childers further forfeited his interest in the firearm and scope used in the commission of the offense to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. In addition, Childers was placed on probation for a period of one year.
Clay Joyner, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, Stephen Clark, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and Colonel Steve Adcock, Chief of Law Enforcement for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks announced the sentence on Thursday.
“We are committed to working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, and take our mission of conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats very seriously. The U.S Fish & Wildlife Office of Law Enforcement continues to work diligently to protect bald eagles and their habitat. In this case, which involved the deliberate and senseless shooting of a bald eagle that was flying near a residence, we are pleased that justice has been served,” remarked United States Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent in Charge Stephen Clark.
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Chief of Law Enforcement Colonel Steve Adcock also applauded the work of agents and investigators on this case: “We have a great working relationship with the USFWS and their staff. This case shows the lengths both agencies will go to ensure those who choose to break the law are caught and prosecuted.”
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks and prosecuted by AUSA Julie Addison.
