81-year-old sentenced to prison for breeding and selling enormous sheep clones

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It was back in March this year that Arthur "Jack" Schubarth pleaded guilty to the breeding and selling of giant hybrid sheep, which authorities described as an "audacious scheme".

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Initial reports stated Schubarth purchased parts of the Marco Polo argali sheep, which can weigh as much as 300 pounds. These parts were purchased from Kyrgyzstan and imported into the United States. However, Schubarth didn't declare the imported parts, and for good reason, as that particular species of sheep is protected both internationally and domestically by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Schubarth extracted DNA samples from the parts and took them to a lab to create embryos, of which he received 165 in November 2016. Schubarth then created a pure genetic Marco Polo argali that he named "Montana Mountain King," which was milked for its semen to create herds of these hybrid sheep, which authorities said were then sold and hunted for trophies.

"His actions threatened Montana's native wildlife species for no other reason than he and his co-conspirators wanted to make more money," Todd Kimm, assistant attorney general for the DoJ's Environmental and Natural Resources Division

The Department of Justice has sentenced Schubarth to six months in prison and fines totaling $24,000, which the authorities say is for committing two felony wildlife crimes "a conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and substantively violating the Lacey Act". Moreover, the DOJ pointed out that two of Schubarth's giant hybrid sheep died of a chronic wasting disease called Johne's disease. This disease can spread between animations and through the environment.

"This case exemplifies the serious threat that wildlife trafficking poses to our native species and ecosystems," said Edward Grace, assistant director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Office of Law Enforcement, in the statement. "Mr. Schubarth's actions not only violated multiple laws designed to protect wildlife, but also risked introducing diseases and compromising the genetic integrity of our wild sheep populations."

"I will have to work the rest of my life to repair everything I've done," Schubarth told the judge before the sentencing, per the Associated Press