A Montana ranch owner was arrested last Tuesday for running a scheme to breed and sell oversized sheep to captive hunting facilities where they were ultimately killed. The news was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), revealing that 80-year-old Arthur “Jack” Schubarth pleaded guilty to conspiracy and substantially violating the Lacey Act.
The Lacey Act, established to prevent wildlife trafficking and the ecological invasion of invasive species, prohibits the interstate trade of wildlife that has been taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of federal or state laws. It also prohibits the sale of falsely labeled wildlife.
According to the DOJ, Schubarth owns and operates Schubarth Ranch. This 215-acre alternative livestock ranch specializes in the purchase, breeding, and sale of “alternative livestock,” such as mountain goats and mountain sheep. These animals are sold to captive hunting operations or shooting preserves and game ranches.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said, “This was an audacious scheme to create massive hybrid sheep species to be sold and hunted as trophies. In pursuit of this scheme, Schubarth violated international law and the Lacey Act, both of which protect the viability and health of native populations of animals.”
Between 2013 and 2021, Schubarth conspired with at least five others to create a larger hybrid species of sheep that could potentially bring in higher prices from game ranches. To achieve this, Schubarth obtained parts of the Marco Polo argali sheep – the largest sheep in the world – from Kyrgyzstan, without declaring the importation.
According to the DOJ, Marco Polo sheep can grow to over 300 pounds with horns over 5 feet wide. They are native to the Pamir region of Central Asia, at high elevations.
To create the giant sheep, Schubarth sent genetic material from the sheep parts to a lab to create cloned embryos, which were then placed in ewes on his ranch. As a result, a single, pure male Marco Polo sheep was created, which he named “Montana Mountain King” or “MMK.”
In addition to creating hybrid animals, Schubarth is also accused of illegally obtaining genetic material from Bighorn sheep in Montana. To evade detection, he forged inspection certificates from veterinarians and falsely claimed that the shipped animals were a permitted species. In other instances, he sold MMK’s semen to sheep breeders out of state, according to court documents.
The Chief of Enforcement for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Ron Howell, said, “The kind of crime we uncovered here could threaten the integrity of our wildlife species in Montana. This was a complex case, and our partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was critical in solving it.”
Schubarth faces up to five years in prison for each felony count, a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervised release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11.
According to Chief Howell, the cooperation between agencies was crucial in solving this complex case, which uncovered a serious crime and helped preserve the integrity of Montana’s wildlife. As for Schubarth, justice is yet to be delivered, and we can only hope that such illicit activities will cease to undermine wildlife protection.
