Man Tries Selling Bald Eagle Parts

A Port Dickson man has been arrested and charged with offering bald eagle parts for sale and the unlawful possession of additional protected wildlife parts.

A deceased juvenile bald eagle was found on a Binghamton sidewalk. The eagle appeared to have been electrocuted on a power line, but its feet were also removed. The DEC reports: "On August 13, off-duty ECO Andrew McCormick received a phone call reporting a deceased juvenile bald eagle found on a Binghamton sidewalk. ECO McCormick made arrangements with ECO Anthony Rigoli to retrieve the carcass. The eagle appeared to have been electrocuted on a power line. However, ECO Rigoli observed that its feet had been removed. Later that day, a business complainant advised ECO McCormick that a subject had come into a bait shop in Binghamton and attempted to sell the foot of a bald eagle. The complainant stated that he knew the possession of the eagle's foot is illegal and declined to buy it. Additionally, the complainant knew the subject lived in the village of Port Dickinson. Lt. Ric Warner obtained additional tissue samples from the carcass for a possible DNA match to the feet and to support a search warrant. On August 16, a search warrant was executed at the suspect's residence by Lt. Warner, ECOs McCormick and Templeton, and Port Dickinson Police Chief Douglas Pipher. The bald eagle feet, along with a primary wing feather, two bird nests, and a variety of protected bird species feathers were found and seized as evidence. The subject was arrested and charged with offering bald eagle parts for sale and the unlawful possession of additional protected wildlife parts. He was released with appearance tickets returnable in the Dickinson Town Court."

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