A man from eastern Ohio has pleaded guilty to a federal charge after authorities say he shot and killed a bald eagle.

David B. Huff, 79, of Dover, pleaded guilty to violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

According to court documents Huff shot and killed a bald eagle with a rifle this past October.

Investigators say Huff owns farmland and several fields in Tuscarawas County and routinely conducts inspections of the land for the presence of pests and rodents.  During one of these inspections, Huff shot and killed a bald eagle with a rifle.

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940 prohibits anyone, without a permit, from shooting bald or golden eagles.  

After shooting the eagle, Huff picked up the animal and discarded it in the tree line of a bordering field.

As part of the terms of the plea, Huff has agreed to make restitution to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in the amount of $10,000 and pay an additional fine of $10,000.

 Huff has also agreed to a five-year prohibition from hunting as well as the destruction of the rifle and ammunition seized during the investigation by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Huff is scheduled to be sentenced on October 11, 2022.