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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Arthur “Jack” Schubarth, an 81-year-old Montana rancher, was sentenced on September 30, 2024, after pleading guilty to federal wildlife crimes involving a cloned Marco Polo argali and illegally traded sheep genetic material.
Who was sentenced?
Schubarth operated Sun River Enterprises LLC, also known as Schubarth Ranch, a 215-acre alternative-livestock ranch near Vaughn, Montana. The business served captive-hunting operations, shooting preserves and game ranches.
The U.S. Department of Justice described his conduct as an almost decade-long effort to produce unusually large sheep hybrids for sale. The convictions were not for cloning alone. They involved a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and a substantive Lacey Act violation.
How the cloning and breeding scheme worked
Importing Marco Polo argali genetic material
In 2013, Schubarth brought undeclared parts of Marco Polo argali sheep from Kyrgyzstan into the United States. He supplied genetic material from those parts to a third-party cloning facility.
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Marco Polo argali (Ovis ammon polii) is a wild sheep native to high elevations in the Pamir region of Central Asia. The Justice Department describes it as the world’s largest sheep: average males can weigh more than 300 pounds and have horns spanning more than five feet.
The species is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Montana also prohibited it because of risks to native sheep from disease and hybridization.
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Creating “Montana Mountain King”
In 2016, the cloning facility supplied successfully cloned pure Marco Polo argali embryos. Schubarth raised a male clone and named him “Montana Mountain King,” or MMK.
Beginning in 2018, according to the Justice Department’s case bulletin, Schubarth used MMK’s semen to artificially inseminate other ewes. Some of the ewes belonged to species prohibited in Montana. The resulting animals were larger hybrids marketed to captive-hunting buyers, and MMK semen and offspring were sold across state lines.
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Why prosecutors treated the conduct as wildlife trafficking
The Lacey Act makes it a federal crime to import, transport, sell or acquire wildlife in interstate commerce when the wildlife was taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of another law. The statute also covers wildlife that is falsely labeled.
- Protected-species material: Undeclared Marco Polo argali parts were brought into the United States and used for cloning.
- Interstate commerce: Sheep, offspring and semen were sold or moved between states.
- False paperwork: Veterinary inspection documents were falsely labeled to facilitate animal movements.
- State-law violations: The scheme used species barred in Montana and involved parts from Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep obtained in violation of Montana law.
The bighorn sheep material was also transported and sold in interstate commerce, giving federal prosecutors an additional Lacey Act basis.
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Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim said Schubarth and others “illegally conspired to conceal their actions from authorities.” U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said the conduct threatened Montana’s native wildlife “for no other reason than he and his co-conspirators wanted to make more money.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What were the disease and conservation risks?
The Justice Department reported that at least two sheep connected to the scheme died from Johne’s disease, a contagious chronic wasting disease that can spread directly between animals or through contaminated environments.
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Wildlife officials said the activities risked introducing disease into other herds and compromising the genetic integrity of wild sheep populations. Edward Grace, assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the conduct threatened both wildlife-health protections and the genetic integrity of native sheep.
Key dates in the case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Undeclared Marco Polo argali parts were supplied to a cloning facility. |
| 2016 | Successfully cloned pure Marco Polo argali embryos were received; Schubarth raised the male clone MMK. |
| 2018 | MMK breeding and sales of offspring and semen began, according to the Justice Department case bulletin. |
| March 12, 2024 | Schubarth pleaded guilty to conspiracy and a substantive violation of the Lacey Act. |
| September 30, 2024 | He was sentenced in federal court. |
What sentence did Schubarth receive?
| Penalty | Amount or term |
|---|---|
| Federal imprisonment | Six months |
| Supervised release | Three years |
| Lacey Act Reward Fund fine | $20,000 |
| National Fish and Wildlife Foundation payment | $4,000 |
| Special assessment | $200 |
The monetary penalties were part of the sentence announced by the Justice Department. Wildlife agencies retained animals connected with the investigation, but the available case information does not establish the final long-term disposition of MMK or every other animal involved.
Was cloning itself illegal?
Cloning was one step in the conduct, but it was not the sole basis for the convictions. The criminal case centered on obtaining protected-species parts, using wildlife and genetic material in violation of state and federal rules, moving and selling animals or semen across state lines, and concealing those activities with false labels and documents.
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