Jul 18, 2023 3 min read

A Canonsburg man accused of shooting and killing a bald eagle earlier this year in Washington County was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh.

Rodney Thomas, 50, faces one federal count of violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act in connection with the May 12 shooting of the eagle in Mt. Pleasant Township.

Federal investigators said Thomas used an air rifle to shoot the mature eagle, which was found dead in a field near Waterdam Road a couple miles north of Hickory. Investigators with Mt. Pleasant Township police and the Pennsylvania Game Commission released a photograph of a suspicious vehicle that was in the area at the time of shooting, and a person turned himself in to authorities shortly after.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took over the investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Stockey presented the case to the grand jury, which returned its one-count indictment.

“This office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting environmental and wildlife offenses under federal law, including the unlawful killing of bald eagles – the United States’ national bird since 1782,” U.S. Attorney Eric Olshan said in a written statement.

He thanked local and state authorities, along with Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh for assisting in the investigation.

Walsh said various authorities at the federal, state and local levels “worked diligently coordinating with each other” to find the suspect and put together evidence that eventually led to the federal indictment. Walsh did not say whether Thomas could also eventually face state charges.

“The bald eagle is our national bird and is widely known as being symbolic of our independence as a country,” Walsh said. “A symbolic species such as the bald eagle deserves our protection.”

A spokesman for the Game Commission’s Southwest Region said last week that the investigation was getting close to wrapping up, although he indicated at the time that the case might not be resolved until the end of this month.

The two-month investigation caused some in the community to question why it was taking so long to file charges, prompting Mt. Pleasant Township police Chief Matthew Tharp to issue a lengthy statement July 10 on the police department’s Facebook page asking for the public’s patience with the investigation. The police department posted again on its Facebook page Tuesday after the indictment was announced, applauding state and federal investigators for working to “ensure the person would be held accountable.”

“We wanted to thank all agencies involved with this tragic incident,” the post read. “We again ask patience to continue letting the system work …”

There were few details about the incident within the two-page indictment filed Tuesday in federal court. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said she could not comment on the investigation or the indictment.

Bald eagles were removed from the federal Endangered Species Act in 2007, but they are still protected through three other federal acts, which include the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Lacey Act, according to both the state Game Commission and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

If convicted, Thomas faces up to one year in prison and a $5,000 fine.