Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, an 81-year-old Montana resident, was sentenced to six months in federal prison on Monday for illegally breeding hybrid sheep. According to AP, Schubarth created these hybrid sheep for trophy hunting in Texas and Minnesota by using tissue and testicles from large sheep hunted in Central Asia and the US.
Judge Brian Morris of the US district court acknowledged the difficulty in determining an appropriate sentence, given Schubarth’s age and clean criminal record.However, he noted the importance of deterring future attempts to alter animal genetics. In addition to the prison sentence, Schubarth was fined $20,000 and ordered to pay $4,000 to the US Fish and Wildlife Foundation. He will self-report to a Bureau of Prisons medical facility.
Schubarth expressed remorse before sentencing, saying, “I will have to work the rest of my life to repair everything I’ve done.” His attorney, Jason Holden, argued that the incident has had a devastating impact on Schubarth’s life, reputation, and family.
Holden requested probation, highlighting Schubarth’s lifelong dedication to animal care and his unique cloning achievement, which resulted in the giant Marco Polo sheep, also reffered as Montana Mountain King (MMK) by Schubarth.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has seized MMK and is holding the animal until it can be relocated to a zoo. Prosecutors described Schubarth’s operation as extensive and a threat to wildlife health, involving the importation of sheep breeds not allowed in Montana, including 43 from Texas.
Schubarth, the owner of Sun River Enterprises LLC, a ranch that breeds alternative livestock for private hunting preserves, pleaded guilty in March to conspiring with five others to use tissue from a smuggled Marco Polo sheep for cloning purposes. The hybrids were sold for captive hunting, with the total value of animals involved ranging from $250,000 to $550,000. Schubarth made substantial profits from selling MMK’s semen and hybrid sheep.
Court records revealed that in 2019, Schubarth paid $400 for the testicles of a Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep to use in his breeding programme. Despite seeking reduced restitution, Schubarth must slaughter all remaining hybrid sheep with Marco Polo DNA by the end of the year and donate the meat to food banks. He is also prohibited from breeding game stock during his three-year probation.
Schubarth has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as investigations continue. He expressed deep remorse, admitting that he became overly passionate about his sheep breeding project and allowed his judgement to become clouded.
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