Seven members of an Alabama household will serve sentences, starting from probation to 2 years in federal jail, for operating what authorities referred to as “one of the largest cockfighting operations” within the nation, prosecutors introduced Wednesday.
The Department of Justice stated the ultimate member of the Easterling household of Verbena, Alabama, was sentenced this week after pleading responsible to violating the Animal Welfare Act’s prohibition in opposition to animal combating. For greater than two years, the defendants allegedly held unlawful cockfighting occasions at an enviornment with stadium-style seating for 150 folks.
Prosecutors stated individuals paid massive entry charges – as much as $1,500 to struggle seven roosters – whereas spectators wagered on the roosters, which fought with blades strapped to their legs, in keeping with court docket paperwork.
Participants had been “told what weapons to strap to the roosters’ legs, such as short knives, long knives or spurs,” prosecutors stated.
The defendants additionally ran two massive fighting-bird breeding companies generally known as Swift Creek Gamefarm and L&L Gamefarm the place 1000’s of birds had been bred and bought for use in fights, in keeping with court docket paperwork.
“As these sentences vividly show, the Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable those who encourage and profit from forcing animals to fight each other for human entertainment,” stated Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
George William “Billy” Easterling, 56, was sentenced to 22 months in jail. Brent Colon Easterling, 38, was sentenced to 24 months in jail. William “Tyler” Easterling, 30, was sentenced to twenty months in jail. William Colon “Jim” Easterling, 77, was sentenced to 2 years of house detention as a substitute of jail due to his declining well being.
“The court determined that the illegal conduct involved animal fighting on an ‘exceptional scale’ and imposed sentences which reflect the unusual cruelty of a business model that relies on the death or injury of thousands of birds for entertainment and profit,” prosecutors stated.
A choose this fall sentenced three different relations — Kassi Brook Easterling, 39, Amber Nicole Easterling, 25, and Thomas Glyn “Junior” Williams, 34 — to probation for his or her roles within the combating and bird-breeding operations.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) actively investigates allegations of animal abuse and any associated gambling activities,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jason Williams of the USDA-OIG. “This agency has made animal fighting a high priority to demonstrate that these blatant acts of cruelty to animals will not be tolerated.”
Earlier this yr in Southern California, authorities broke up a big cockfighting occasion and stated they had been pressured to euthanize almost 150 roosters.