Jason Keith Bruce, a 51-year-old resident of Galt, has admitted guilt in a case involving the smuggling of an endangered Ladakh urial trophy into the United States. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert.
The Ladakh urial is an endangered wild sheep species native to the mountainous regions of Ladakh in India and Pakistan.
Court documents reveal that Bruce, a recreational big game hunter, conspired with Pir Danish Ali, a 45-year-old from Pakistan and CEO of a hunting outfitter company. As a client of Pir's company, Bruce participated in hunting an endangered Ladakh urial in Pakistan. Together, they planned to smuggle the trophy into the U.S. in 2018 by misdeclaring it as another species to Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service while presenting forged documents purportedly issued by Pakistani authorities.
When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service detained the trophy, Bruce and Pir agreed to deceive officials by lying about its origins. Investigations uncovered that many other hunters who used Pir's services also presented forged documents when importing trophies into the U.S., with at least 97 such cases identified between 2013 and 2018.
This case stems from an investigation conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine T. Lydon and Whitnee Goins.
Bruce's sentencing is set for May 20, 2025, before U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez. He faces up to five years in prison along with a $250,000 fine; however, his actual sentence will be determined based on various statutory factors considered under Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
It should be noted that charges against Pir remain allegations at this stage; he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.