NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man has pleaded guilty to killing a bald eagle because he was upset that the bird was taking fish from his pond.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia says in a statement that 62-year-old Allen Thacker of Smithfield pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful taking of a bald eagle.
Prosecutors say Thacker admitted in court documents to shooting eagle and then running over it with an all-terrain vehicle because he was mad the bird was hunting in a pond on his property. Court documents say the incident happened March 13.
Thacker faces a maximum punishment of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine when he’s sentenced in October.
Thacker’s attorney did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment.
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