Four defendants pleaded guilty in federal court to felony charges for their involvement in a multistate dogfighting conspiracy, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
The four individuals took part in the training, transporting, and breeding of dogs and arranged fights between April 2013 and July 2018, and their crimes were committed across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey.
Odell Anderson, 52, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits dogfighting, and to one count of taking a minor to an animal fighting venture, according to the Justice Department.
UTAH MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY IMPORTING INSECTS AND ANIMAL SKELETONS
Forty-six-year-old Emmanuel Powe of Frederick, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy May 10, while 46-year-old Chester Moody of Glenn Dale, Maryland, and 46-year-old Carlos Harvey of King George, Virginia, each pleaded guilty to the same charge April 28.
All pleas were made before Judge John Gibney of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Court documents detail exchanges between the defendants that discuss the training and fighting of dogs.
“Can we play today?” Anderson asked a co-conspirator in a text message that referred to a chain weight training dog fight, court documents showed.
Other exchanges show the conspirators discussing the purchase and bloodline information of the dogs, which are identified in court documents as “pit bull-type dogs.”
At least one dog died from injuries sustained in a “two-card” fight April 3, 2016. For that fight, Anderson, Powe, Harvey, and others met at a Walmart parking lot in King George, Virginia, after which they traveled to the location for the fight.
“Organized dogfighting, whether on a professional, hobbyist or street fighter level, has no place in our society,” said acting Assistant Attorney General Jean Williams of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division in the news release. “Dogfighting is an extremely violent and secretive venture of animal abuse, and bringing young children to these fighting events exposes another generation to indifference towards animal cruelty and disrespect for the law against this ruthless and illegal activity.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The conspiracy charges each carry a maximum prison sentence of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000, while the maximum sentence for the charge against Anderson for taking a minor to a dog fight is three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
