81-Year-Old Man Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Illegal Sheep Cloning
An 81-year-old Montana man was sentenced Monday to six months in federal prison for illegally using tissue and testicles from large sheep hunted in Central Asia and the U.S. to create hybrid sheep for captive trophy hunting in Texas and Minnesota.
Sentence and Fines
U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris said he struggled to come up with a sentence for Arthur “Jack” Schubarth of Vaughn, Montana. He said he weighed Schubarth’s age and lack of a criminal record with a sentence that would deter anyone else from trying to “change the genetic makeup of the creatures” on the earth.
Morris also fined Schubarth $20,000 and ordered him to make a $4,000 payment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Schubarth will be allowed to self-report to a Bureau of Prisons medical facility.
Attorney’s Plea
Schubarth’s attorney, Jason Holden, said cloning the giant Marco Polo sheep hunted in Kyrgyzstan in 2013 has ruined his client’s “life, reputation and family.”
Holden, in seeking a probationary sentence, argued that Schubarth was a hard-working man who has always cared for animals and did something that no one else could have done in cloning the giant sheep, which he named Montana Mountain King or MMK.
Court Records and Investigation
Schubarth pleaded guilty in March to charges that he and five other people conspired to use tissue from a Marco Polo sheep illegally brought into the U.S. to clone that animal and then use the clone and its descendants to create a larger, hybrid species of sheep that would be more valuable for captive hunting operations.
Schubarth sold semen from MMK along with hybrid sheep to three people in Texas, while a Minnesota resident brought 74 sheep to Schubarth’s ranch for them to be inseminated at various times during the conspiracy, court records said.
Case Details
The animal has been confiscated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and is being held in an accredited facility until it can be transferred to a zoo, said Richard Bare, a special agent with the wildlife service.
Sarah Brown, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, had asked that Schubarth be sentenced to prison, saying his illegal breeding operation was widespread, involved other states and endangered the health of other wildlife.
Conclusion
Schubarth’s actions have had significant consequences, not only for himself but also for the wildlife and the environment. His sentence serves as a reminder of the importance of following the law and respecting the natural world.
FAQs
Q: What was the purpose of Schubarth’s illegal sheep cloning operation?
A: Schubarth’s operation was designed to create a larger, hybrid species of sheep that would be more valuable for captive hunting operations.
Q: How many sheep were involved in the conspiracy?
A: Court records indicate that 43 sheep from Texas and 74 sheep from Minnesota were brought to Schubarth’s ranch for insemination.
Q: What was the total value of the animals involved in the conspiracy?
A: The total value of the animals involved was greater than $250,000 but less than $550,000, prosecutors said.
Q: What is the status of the Marco Polo sheep involved in the case?
A: The animal has been confiscated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and is being held in an accredited facility until it can be transferred to a zoo.
