Four
defendants were sentenced this month in federal court in Trenton, New
Jersey, as a result of their roles in a multi-state dog fighting
conspiracy that extended to New Mexico and Indiana. Acting Assistant
Attorney General Jeffrey H. Wood of the Justice Department’s Environment
and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito of the
District of New Jersey made the announcement.
- Today, Lydell Harris, 32, of Vineland, New Jersey, a/k/a “Sinn,”
was sentenced to serve 17 months in prison. He had pleaded guilty to
one felony count of conspiracy to sponsor or exhibit a dog in an animal
fighting venture, and one felony count of possessing a dog intended for
use in an animal fighting venture.
- Anthony “Monte” Gaines, 37, of Vineland, New Jersey, was sentenced
on March 5, 2018, to serve 42 months in prison. Gaines had pleaded
guilty to two felony counts of conspiracy to buy, sell, receive,
transport, deliver, and possess dogs intended for use in an animal
fighting venture, and one felony count of possessing a dog intended for
use in an animal fighting venture.
- Frank Nichols, 40, of Millville, New Jersey, was sentenced March 9,
2018, to serve 57 months in prison. He had pleaded guilty to one felony
count of conspiracy to transport, deliver and receive dogs intended for
use in an animal fighting venture, and one felony count of possessing a
stolen firearm subsequent to a felony conviction.
- Pedro Cuellar, 47, of Willow Springs, Illinois, was sentenced on
March 12, 2018, to serve 12 months and a day in prison. He had pleaded
guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to transport, deliver, and
receive dogs intended for use in an animal fighting venture.
A fifth co-defendant who has pleaded guilty will be sentenced on
April 18, 2018. The court is expected to set a trial date for four
additional defendants for some time this summer. Judge Anne E. Thompson
sentenced Gaines and Judge Peter G. Sheridan sentenced Harris, Cuellar,
and Nichols.
According to court documents filed in connection with the cases, from
October 2015 through June 1, 2016, the defendants and their associates
fought dogs – including to the death – and trafficked in dogs with other
dog fighters in Indiana, Illinois, New Mexico, and elsewhere so that
those dogs could be used in dog fights. They also maintained fighting
dogs and dog fighting equipment such as dog treadmills, intravenous drug
bags and lines, “breeding stands” used to immobilize female dogs, and
chains weighing up to several pounds per linear foot. Agents found
canine blood on the floor, walls, and ceiling of the basement of one
defendant’s residence, indicating that the area was likely used as a dog
fighting pit. Among other acts involved in the charges, one of the
pleading defendants admitted that his dog died in his car on the way
home after losing a dog fight.
“In close partnership with the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and USDA
Office of Inspector General, our Division is aggressively pursuing those
who engage in illegal animal fighting ventures,” said Acting Assistant
Attorney General Wood. “These sentencings demonstrate our firm
commitment to prosecute those who violate federal laws banning the
torture of animals in the fighting ring. As these cases also
demonstrate, animal fighting ventures often involve other forms of
serious criminal conduct like illegal gambling and illegal trafficking
in drugs and weapons. I applaud the law enforcement officers and
prosecutors who worked tirelessly to deliver justice in these cases.”
“Dog fighting is vicious and cruel. And beyond the needless
suffering it inflicts on animals, it exacts a toll on local animal
shelters, charitable humane organizations, and the taxpayers of New
Jersey,” said U.S. Attorney Carpenito. “We applaud our local and federal
partners who investigated this case and brought the offenders to
justice. The message from these sentencing is simple: if you fight dogs
in New Jersey, you will face prosecution and imprisonment.”
“The provisions of the Animal Welfare Act were designed to protect
animals from being used in illegal fighting ventures, which often entail
other forms of criminal activity involving drugs, firearms and
gambling,” said Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins for U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General. “Together with
the Department of Justice, animal fighting is an investigative priority
for USDA OIG, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to
investigate and assist in the criminal prosecution of those who
participate in animal fighting ventures.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is proud to have been involved in
this interagency investigation that sends a clear message that New
Jersey will prosecute such offenders to the fullest extent of the law,”
said Resident Agent in Charge Richard Reinhold for Cherry Hill Homeland
Security Investigations. “It also points to the diverse law enforcement
work that HSI performs on a daily basis.”
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort
across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog
fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer
to a dog with more than five dog fighting “victories.” To date, 98 dogs
have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either
surrendered or forfeited to the government. The Humane Society of the
United States assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law
enforcement. The government is represented by Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy
of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant
U.S. Attorney Kathleen O’Leary. The case is being investigated by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, and
the Federal Bureau of Investigation.