Jason Keith Bruce, 51, of Galt, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to smuggle a Ladakh urial trophy into the United States, according to the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of California.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, the Ladakh urial is a wild sheep native to the mountainous regions of Ladakh, spanning parts of India and Pakistan.
Court documents revealed that Bruce, a recreational big game hunter, conspired with co-defendant Pir Danish Ali, 45, of Pakistan, who is the CEO of a hunting outfitter and guide company based in Pakistan, the department said.
Bruce hunted as a client of Pir’s company, and together they conspired to hunt an endangered Ladakh urial in Pakistan, according to the office.
In 2018, Bruce and Pir smuggled the resulting trophy into the U.S. by falsely declaring it as a different species to Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the department said.
Bruce and Pir also submitted forged documents purportedly issued by Pakistani authorities, the office noted.