Montana man accused of killing 3,600 birds sought after missing court date

An arrest warrant was issued for Simon Paul after he failed to show in court on charges including unlawful trafficking of eagles

A federal judge issued an arrest warrant on Monday for a Montana man who failed to show up for an initial court appearance on charges of killing thousands of birds, including bald and golden eagles. A second defendant pleaded not guilty.

The two men, working with others, killed about 3,600 birds on Montana's Flathead Indian Reservation and elsewhere over a six-year period beginning in 2015, according to a grand jury indictment unsealed last month. The defendants also were accused of selling eagle parts on a black market that has been a long-running problem for US wildlife officials.