He used these materials for breeding trophy animals in Texas and Minnesota. Prosecutors have decided not to seek jail time for Arthur "Jack" Schubarth of Vaughn, Montana, court filings reveal.
Cloning efforts involving the majestic Marco Polo sheep of Kyrgyzstan have shattered Schubarth's "life, reputation and family," as per his lawyer's plea for leniency, reports the Mirror US .
Despite this, the sentencing submission also gives a nod to Schubarth's unique achievement in cloning an endangered species , resulting in the creation of what has been named Montana Mountain King a creature that has since been seized by US Fish and Wildlife Services.
"Jack did something no one else could, or has ever done," the document declares.
"On a ranch, in a barn in Montana, he created Montana Mountain King. MMK is an extraordinary animal, born of science, and from a man who, if he could re-write history, would have left the challenge of cloning a Marco Polo only to the imagination of Michael Crichton," referencing the author of the famed novel Jurassic Park.
Schubarth is the proprietor of Sun River Enterprises LLC, an alternative livestock ranch spanning 215 acres. The ranch specialises in the trade and breeding of "alternative livestock" such as mountain sheep, mountain goats and ungulates . These animals are primarily bred for private hunting preserves where individuals pay to hunt captive trophy game animals, according to prosecutors. Schubarth has been involved in the game farm industry since 1987.
In March, Schubarth admitted guilt to charges that he, along with five others, conspired to utilize tissue from a Marco Polo sheep illegally imported into the US.
This new breed would hold greater value for captive hunting operations.
Marco Polo sheep, known as the largest sheep in the world, can weigh up to 300 pounds (136 kilograms) and possess curled horns that can reach up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length, according to court documents.
Court records reveal that Schubarth sold semen from MMK, along with hybrid sheep, to three individuals in Texas. Meanwhile, a resident of Minnesota brought 74 sheep to Schubarth's ranch for insemination at various points during the conspiracy . Schubarth managed to sell one direct offspring from MMK for $10,000, while other sheep with lesser MMK genetics were sold for smaller sums.
In October 2019, Schubarth paid a hunting guide $400 for the testicles of a trophy-sized Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that had been hunted in Montana. He then extracted and sold the semen , court records disclosed.
The identities of the five co-conspirators remain undisclosed in court documents; however, Schubarth's plea deal stipulates his full cooperation with authorities and mandates his testimony if summoned.
Montana wildlife officials confirm the investigation is ongoing.
For all the latest news straight to your inbox, sign up for our FREE newsletters here .
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.