A Michigan man has entered a guilty plea after an investigation found he was alleged to be trading rare goshawks, one taken from public land in Vilas county.
64-year-old Edward Taylor of Fruitport, Michigan appeared in U.S. Court in Madison.
The complaint alleges Taylor’s conspirator took from the wild a female northern goshawk from a nest located on state land in Vilas County.
The co-conspirator traded the northern goshawk for a Finnish goshawk from Taylor. The information alleges that both Taylor and the other person filled out false reports with the Michigan and Wisconsin DNR's to cover up their actions. This violates the federal Migratory Bird Act and the Lacey Act.
The charges against Taylor were the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Law Enforcement, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Taylor’s sentencing is for February 25. Maximum penalties are a year behind bars and a $100,000 fine.
