Two “sportsmen” convicted of Capitol invasion & one of sheep-screwing

U.S. Department of Justice bags trophy hunting guide,  promoter of catfish “noodling,”  & breeder of genetically modified bighorn sheep

WASHINGTON D.C.––Bagging three prominent “sportsmen” participants in the Rocky Mountain region trophy hunting industry within 10 days,  the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia on March 20,  2023 announced the conviction of hunting guide Patrick Montgomery,  51,  of Littleton, Colorado, “of felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the January 6,  2021,  breach of the U.S. Capitol.”

Montgomery was convicted,  along with two other men who accompanied him to the U.S. Capitol,  ten days after game rancher Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, 80,  of Vaughn,  Montana,  pleaded guilty to felony conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and to “substantively violating the Lacey Act” in connection with his trophy bighorn sheep breeding business,  the Department of Justice said in a media release.

The Lacey Act of 1900 prohibits trade in wildlife,  fish,  and plants that have been illegally taken, possessed,  transported,  or sold.

Illegally inseminated ewes

Schubarth “worked to traffic Marco Polo sheep parts from Kyrgyzstan,  clone sheep, illegally inseminate ewes to create hybrids, and traffic Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep parts,”  the Department of Justice said,  “as part of an almost decade-long effort to create giant sheep hybrids in the United States with an aim to sell the species to captive hunting facilities.”

Both Montgomery and Schubarth had problematic prior history pertaining to trophy hunting.

Convicted with Montgomery was Brady Knowlton,  43,  of St. George,  Utah,  whose trophy hunting history was just plain fishy.

Multiple felonies

“Montgomery and Knowlton were each convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding,  a felony,”  the Department of Justice recounted.

“Montgomery was convicted of an additional felony offense of assaulting,  resisting,  or impeding certain officers,”  the Department of Justice added.

“Knowlton was convicted of an additional misdemeanor offense of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds.”

Also convicted with Montgomery and Knowlton was Gary Wilson,  55,  of Salt Lake City,  Utah.  Wilson was found guilty of “a misdemeanor offense of theft of government property,”  the Department of Justice said.

Actions disrupted Congress

“Their actions and those of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election,”  the Department of Justice explained.

Convicted after a bench trial before U.S. District Judge Randolph D. Moss,  Montgomery,  Knowlton,  and Wilson are to be sentenced on July 2, 2024,  nine days before game rancher Schubarth.

Montgomery specifically was convicted of having “grabbed a law enforcement officer’s baton and attempted to wrestle it away from the officer.  The officer held onto the baton and fell to the ground with Montgomery,”  the Department of Justice said.

“The two then attempted to wrestle control of the baton from each other while Knowlton and Wilson watched nearby. During the scuffle, Montgomery kicked the police officer in the chest.”

Nearly 500 Trumpists hit with felonies

Montgomery,  Knowlton,  and Wilson later entered the U.S. Capitol building and the Senate Gallery,  spending about 50 minutes in the building altogether.

The FBI arrested Patrick Montgomery on Jan. 17, 2021, in Colorado. The FBI arrested Knowlton and Wilson in Utah on April 7, 2021.

“In the 38 months since January 6,  2021,”  the Department of Justice said,  “more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol,  including more than 486 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement,  a felony.  The investigation remains ongoing.”

“Montgomery is a violent man”

After invading the U.S. Capitol building,  “When he got home to Colorado,  Montgomery used a slingshot to fell a bobcat from a tree and watch his dogs maul the feline to death,”  charged Center for a Humane Economy publicist Julie Marshall.

Commented Sam Miller,  campaign director for the Cats Aren’t Trophies petition drive to place a proposed ban on puma hunting on the November 2024 Colorado state ballot,  just begun in the third week of March 2024,  “Montgomery is a violent man – one day it’s cruelty to animals,  and on other days, it’s assault on law enforcement.

“I hope the citizens of Colorado understand that killing lions for their heads and allowing the mauling of bobcats with packs of dogs are not normal behavior,”  Miller added.

“Montgomery pleaded guilty to robbery in New Mexico and was sentenced to six years in prison in 1996,”  Miller recalled,  “making it a crime for him to possess a firearm.  Montgomery got caught after posting online photos he took posing with a lifeless lion.”

“Fish wrestler”

Recalled Nate Carlisle for Fox 13 in Salt Lake City,  “About 10 years ago, Knowlton was in the news for something much different: noodling.

“That’s when someone tries to catch a catfish using bare hands. The New York Times,  Texas Tribune,  and CBS News all published or broadcast stories about Knowlton advocating for legalizing noodling in Texas.”

Claimed Knowlton to a CBS interviewer,  “Been around the world doing a lot of hunting and fishing,” Knowlton told CBS.  “Been chased by lions,  elephants,  and I don’t think anything creates the level of excitement as the wrestle with these fish.”

Resumed Carlisle,  “Texas legalized noodling in 2011 at least in part due to Knowlton,”  or so Knowlton claimed to CBS.

“Knowlton’s efforts also earned him a television show – briefly,”  wrote Carlisle.  “Animal Planet broadcast three episodes of Catfishin’ Kings,  starring Knowlton,  in 2013,  according to [the entertainment industry data base] IMDB.”

“Alternative livestock”

Jack Schubarth,  the Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs explained in a March 12,  2024 media release,  “is the owner and operator of Sun River Enterprises LLC – also known as Schubarth Ranch – which is a 215-acre alternative livestock ranch in Vaughn,”  Montana.

“The Schubarth Ranch is engaged in the purchase,  sale and breeding of ‘alternative livestock’ such as mountain sheep,  mountain goats and various ungulates.

“The primary market for Schubarth’s livestock is captive hunting operations,  also known as shooting preserves or game ranches,”  the Department of Justice said.

Chronic wasting disease

Chronic wasting disease,  called CWD for short,  was first discovered among captive-reared elk in Colorado in 1967.  CWD was recognized as a prionic disease related to “mad cow disease” in 1978,  and was identified in 1996 as a relative of variant Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease,  believed to have killed at least 231 people worldwide,  177 of them in Britain.

Spreading chiefly through commerce in game farm elk,  CWD in 1999 appeared on an elk ranch near Philipsburg,  Montana,  about 145 miles southwest of the Schubarth Ranch.

Efforts to ban elk ranching in Montana began almost immediately,  driven chiefly by trophy hunting guides who had long resented competition from “canned hunts,”  providing trophy-sized elk to shoot without the expense of hiring guides and outfitters.

“Fee hunting” banned

Montana voters on November 6,  2000 approved Initiative 143,  prohibiting “fee hunting” on existing game farms and prohibiting the establishment of new game farms.

Schubarth complied with Initiative 143,  but continued to export elk to hunting ranches in other states,  and meanwhile looked for other ways to make a buck from trophy-seeking head hunters.

“According to court documents,”  recounted the Department of Justice,  “Schubarth conspired with at least five other individuals between 2013 and 2021 to create a larger hybrid species of sheep that would garner higher prices from shooting preserves.

Marco Polo sheep parts

“Schubarth brought parts of the largest sheep in the world,  Marco Polo argali sheep (Ovis ammon polii),  from Kyrgyzstan into the United States without declaring the importation.

Native to Central Asia,  “Average Marco Polo argali males can weigh more than 300 pounds with horns that span more than five feet,”  the Department of Justice said.

“They are protected internationally by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species,  domestically by the U.S. Endangered Species Act,  and are prohibited in the state of Montana to protect native sheep from disease and hybridization.”

Despite that,  the Department of Justice media release narrated,  “Schubarth sent genetic material from the argali parts to a lab to create cloned embryos.  Schubarth then implanted the embryo in ewes on his ranch,  resulting in a single pure genetic male Marco Polo argali that he named Montana Mountain King,”  or MMK for short.

Hybrids

“Court documents explain that Schubarth worked with the other unnamed coconspirators to use MMK’s semen to artificially impregnate various other species of ewes – all of whom were prohibited in Montana – and create hybrid animals.  Their goal was to create a larger and more valuable species of sheep to sell to captive hunting facilities, primarily in Texas.”

Schubarth also boasted of his accomplishments via social media.  On August 28,  2022,  for instance,  Schubarth posted to Facebook photographs of “some yearlings out of our 75% bighorn.  The ewes were 50% bighorns,”  Schubarth said.

“This makes the yearlings 62.5% bighorn.  All the yearling ewes are horned. The 75% ram will get his share of ewes in November.  We will also use some of his sons in our breeding program.”

Forged veterinary certificates

Charged the Department of Justice,  “To move the prohibited sheep into and out of Montana,  Schubarth and others forged veterinary inspection certificates,  falsely claiming that the sheep were legally permitted species.  On occasion,  Schubarth sold MMK semen directly to sheep breeders in other states.”

Said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks chief of law enforcement Ron Howell,  “The kind of crime we uncovered here could threaten the integrity of our wildlife species in Montana.”

Finished the Department of Justice media release,  “For each felony count, Schubarth faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison,  a fine of up to $250,000,  and three years of supervised release.  Schubarth is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11,  2024 by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Brian M. Morris for the District of Montana.”

At age 80,  Schubarth is unlikely to serve prison time at all.

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