Man spent years trying to create giant hybrid sheep to be "sold and hunted as trophies," federal prosecutors say

An 80-year-old man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two felony wildlife crimes connected to his years-long efforts to create giant hybrid sheep using cloning and illegal insemination, federal prosecutors said. 

Arthur "Jack" Schubarth was creating the hybrid sheep as a target for hunters at private facilities, officials said. He violated both international and federal law, Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division said.

"This was an audacious scheme to create massive hybrid sheep species to be sold and hunted as trophies," Kim said in a statement.