A Houston-area man who shot a bald eagle in his backyard before hiding the wounded bird under a tarp in his garage is headed to federal prison.

Santos Guerrero, 43, of Porter, was sentenced Friday to 14 days in prison and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to shooting and killing the federally protected bird, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas.

Guerrero pleaded guilty May 14, nearly two years after authorities said he shot the eagle at his home on Oct. 11, 2024.

The details presented during his sentencing hearing were particularly grim.

Authorities said they initially responded after receiving reports of the shooting and reviewed video showing the eagle being shot and falling from a tree. Investigators went to Guerrero’s home, where they identified the same tree shown in the footage and eventually found the injured eagle beneath a tarp in his garage.

Federal prosecutors said Guerrero later lied to authorities. The court also reviewed video and body camera footage documenting the bird before the shooting and after it was discovered.

The eagle was transported to an animal hospital, but veterinarians later euthanized it because of the severity of its injuries. A necropsy found the bullet had significantly damaged one of the bird’s wings, while the fall caused liver fractures, internal bleeding and a broken leg, according to federal prosecutors.

Bald eagles haven’t been considered an endangered species since 2007, but that doesn’t mean they’re fair game.

The birds remain federally protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibits killing or possessing bald and golden eagles without authorization. The protections also extend to eagle parts, nests and eggs.

When Guerrero pleaded guilty in May, prosecutors said he faced up to a year in federal prison and a maximum $100,000 fine. U.S. Magistrate Judge Peter Bray ultimately sentenced him to 14 days behind bars and the $5,000 fine.

Guerrero remains out on bond and will voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility that has yet to be determined, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.