AFP / Brendan Smialowski
A 91-year-old North Carolina man is facing prison time after admitting to shooting and killing a federally protected bald eagle.
On June 5, Robert Garner Gambill shot a bald eagle that was perched in a tree near the New River in Sparta, North Carolina, using a high-powered rifle, the Ruger M77 Mark 2.
Witnesses told investigators Gambill took aim and fired at the bird, leaving its body behind on the riverbank. The shooting was promptly reported to authorities, leading to an autopsy that confirmed the eagle died from a gunshot wound.
Since bald eagles are protected under federal law, it is illegal to harm or kill them without a special permit, which Gambill did not have at the time.
Gambill pled guilty in a federal court, agreeing to pay a $9,500 fine. He also faces up to one year in prison and a possible $100,00 fine or double the gross gain or loss that resulted after the killing.
An official sentencing date has not yet been set.
