How rare is the Marco Polo Argali sheep? Montana Man hybrid sheep conspiracy explained

A Montana man has pled guilty to attempting to make hybrid sheep. The United States Department of Justice revealed in a press release on Tuesday, March 12, that an 80-year-old Vaughn, Montana, man named Arthur "Jack" Schubarth tried for almost a decade to create a species of hybrid sheep that he could sell to captive hunting facilities, also known as game ranches.

The press release announced that the man pled guilty to multiple felony wildlife charges, including a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and subsequent violations of the Lace Act. Schubarth reportedly imported parts of the Marco Polo argali sheep, the largest sheep in the world and also listed as an endangered animal by the IUCN, from Kyrgyzstan without any declaration of importation.

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Arthur Schubarth's hybrid sheep conspiracy

Arthur "Jack" Schubarth is a Montana man who owns and operates a 215-acre alternative livestock ranch called Sun River Enterprises LLC, also known as Schubarth Ranch. This ranch buys, sells, and breeds alternative livestock like mountain goats and mountain sheep. Its primary market is game ranches, also known as captive hunting facilities.

According to a press release from the DOJ, between 2013 and 2021, Schubarth engaged in an almost decade-long conspiracy with five other unnamed individuals to create large hybrid sheep that may fetch higher prices at captive hunting facilities. To do this, Schubarth imported parts of the Marco Polo argali sheep, the largest sheep in the world, from Kyrgyzstan without any declaration of importation.

These sheep are native to Central Asia's Pamir region and are listed as an endangered animal by the IUCN, according to Medium. They are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and they are even prohibited in Montana to protect native sheep.

Schubarth created cloned embryos in a lab from the genetic material obtained from these sheep and implanted these inside the ewes on his ranch, creating what he called the Montana Mountain King (MMK), a pure genetic male Marco Polo argali. Semen from the MMK was used to impregnate ewes of different species to create hybrid sheep, which was prohibited by Montana law.

At times, semen from the MMK was sold directly to sheep breeders across different states. At other times, Schubarth and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that the sheep was legal and even forged veterinary inspection certificates to transport the MMK in and out of the state.

The DOJ also revealed that the man purchased, transported, and sold parts of Montana's wild-hunted Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. Again, this is not allowed by Montana law, as it prevents game animals from being used in alternative livestock ranches and their parts from being sold within the state.

On Tuesday, Arthur Schubarth's hybrid sheep efforts finally caught up to him. He pled guilty to two felony counts: conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and subsequent violation of the Lacey Act. The Lacey Act prohibited the interstate trade of wildlife that was falsely labeled, taken, transported, or sold in violation of federal law.

Each of the hybrid sheep maker's felony counts will result in a maximum of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Schubarth is set to be sentenced on July 11, 2024.