– Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 80, of Vaughn, Montana, pleaded guilty to felony charges related to trafficking sheep parts from Asia into the United States.
– Schubarth aimed to sell a larger hybrid species of the Marco Polo argali sheep to captive hunting facilities in Texas.
– The Marco Polo argali sheep is listed as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act and is banned in Montana to protect native sheep.
– Schubarth and co-conspirators used trafficked sheep parts to create cloned argali sheep and artificially inseminated female sheep species to create hybrid animals.
– Schubarth faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each of the two felony counts.
Montana ranch owner pleads guilty to trafficking cloned sheep parts for financial gain
