A What Cheer man will spend time in prison for killing a bird protected by U.S. law. Thirty-six-year-old Jason John Thomas was sentenced in district court Thursday to 60 days of imprisonment for taking and possessing a bald eagle.

According to the criminal complaint, during a boat ride on Mahaska County’s portion of the South Skunk River in March of 2011, Thomas used a stick to hit a bald eagle that had landed near the riverbank. He then pulled the bird into the boat and stomped it to death. After cutting off the eagle’s head and talons, he threw the carcass into the river. A concerned citizen reported the incident and provided photographic evidence in August of 2013.

In addition to the jail time, Thomas will serve one year of supervised release, perform 80 hours of community service and pay a $2,000 fine. As a condition of his supervised release, he is not allowed to engage in any form of hunting.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.