September 30th 2024.
A man, Arthur "Jack" Schubarth, has recently been sentenced to six months in prison for his involvement in a scheme to breed and sell cloned giant sheep to captive hunting facilities. The 81-year-old had been running a breeding operation for years, with the goal of creating a "more valuable species" to sell to these facilities.
According to the Justice Department, Schubarth imported parts of the Marco Polo argali sheep, the largest species in the world, from Kyrgyzstan without declaring them. These males can weigh over 300 pounds and have horns that exceed five feet in length. Schubarth then used genetic material from these parts to create cloned embryos, which he implanted into ewes at his 215-acre ranch in Montana.
One of the resulting pure, genetic male argali was named Montana Mountain King, or MMK. Schubarth conspired with at least five others from 2013 to 2021 to breed a hybrid species of sheep that would fetch higher prices at shooting preserves. He used MMK's semen to impregnate ewes of different species, even though this was prohibited in Montana, in order to produce these hybrids.
The Justice Department stated that Schubarth and his co-conspirators' goal was to create a larger and more valuable species of sheep to sell to captive hunting facilities, primarily in Texas. To transport these hybrid animals out of state, Schubarth falsified veterinary inspection certificates and claimed that they were allowed.
As a result, Schubarth was convicted of two felony wildlife crimes – conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and substantially violating the act. The Lacey Act prohibits the interstate trading of wildlife that has been taken, obtained, transported, or sold in violation of state or federal law. US District Court Judge Brian Morris took into account Schubarth's age and lack of prior criminal record when handing out the sentence, but also wanted to deter others from attempting to "change the genetic makeup of creatures."
During the sentencing, Schubarth expressed remorse for his actions, stating that he would have to work the rest of his life to repair the damage he had caused. He was also fined $20,000 to be paid to the Lacey Act Reward Fund, $4,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and was given a $200 special assessment.
For those interested in staying updated on the latest news, Metro is now on WhatsApp! Join their community for breaking news and juicy stories. Schubarth's lawyer, Jason Holden, spoke on his client's behalf, stating that his actions had ruined his life, reputation, and family, and that this experience had broken him.
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