A 42-year-old Kalamazoo, Michigan, resident, who allegedly participated in dog fighting, faces several charges for felony crimes. According to court records, the man faces two counts for “animal fighting,” and one count for “breeding or training animals for fighting.” A conviction could carry up to four years in prison.
According to prosecutors, the man used more than 20 dogs for fighting, which likely took place at two different homes located in Kalamazoo. One of the homes belongs to the man charged.
An investigation of the alleged dog fighting operation began in 2011 when neighbors of the man called the police after three dogs at his home began fighting each other. They escaped from their chains and began attacking one another. Eventually, all three dogs died from injuries sustained in the fight.
Afterwards, the police obtained warrants to search the homes at issue, but police did not find any additional dogs. Prosecutors say that evidence of the additional 20 dogs, believed to be purebred pit bulls, was located in a “paperwork trail on the Internet.”
The police are still looking for an additional suspect, who faces the same felony charges plus six additional charges because of his potential involvement in an unrelated deadly April 2011 shooting.
Someone convicted of a felony charge usually faces substantial fines and incarceration. People who find themselves in this situation should not take the charges lightly. Having an attorney who can build a strong defense and spot the problems in a prosecutor’s case is vital to protecting the freedom of someone charged with a felony crime. Nobody condones dog fighting or any other felony crimes. But, when authorities charge a person with these crimes, the defendant is entitled to have someone on their side to vigorously defend their rights.
Source: WOOD-TV, “Man faces felonies for dog fighting,” Amanda Jarrett, April 13, 2012
