Dog Fighting Ringleaders Sentenced For Role In 'Barbaric' Acts

Fredericksburg VA

07 October, 2021

3:17 PM

Description

VIRGINIA — Three men have been sentenced for their roles in an interstate dog fighting network across Virginia, the District of Columbia, Maryland and New Jersey, the U.S. Department of Justice said Thursday. According to court documents, from at least 2013 to July 2018, Chester A. Moody Jr., 47, of Glenn Dale, Maryland; Emmanuel A. Powe Sr., 46, of Frederick, Maryland; and Odell S. Anderson Sr., 52, of the District of Columbia, participated in a dog fighting network. One of the dog fight events occurred in King George, Virginia, where two dogs died from the injuries sustained in the fights. The men were sentenced by John Gibney, a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Richmond. Moody will serve one year and one day in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release and 120 hours of community service. Moody pleaded guilty on April 28 to one felony count of conspiracy to engage in dog fighting activities over several years. Powe will serve 18 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release. He pleaded guilty on May 10 to one felony count of conspiracy to engage in dog fighting activities over several years. Anderson will serve 18 months in prison to be followed by three years supervised release. Anderson pleaded guilty on June 1 to the same felony count of conspiracy to engage in dog fighting activities as the other two defendants. Anderson also pleaded guilty to one count of causing a child under the age of sixteen to attend an illegal animal fight venture. Each of the men was involved in selling, buying, possessing, training, transporting, delivering and receiving dogs so that those dogs could be used in dog fighting ventures, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The men also possessed "significant dog fighting equipment," such as dog treadmills, medical veterinary kits, breeding stands used to forcibly immobilize female fighting dogs, dog collars with embedded weights, and chains weighing several pounds used to restrain the dogs, the U.S. attorney's office said. "The violent and cruel act of dog fighting is a heinous form of animal abuse," said Raj Parekh, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "These defendants served as leaders, breeders, and trainers for a multi-year dog fighting operation and brazenly promoted this barbaric form of 'entertainment' for illegal personal gain." The defendants participated in multiple dog fights, from "roll" or "play" fights used to test a dog's willingness to fight, to full-blown dog fighting shows planned months in advance and limited to known attendees. One of the dog fight events occurred in King George, Virginia, in April 2016 where most of the participants were led to the fight's secret location. The event involved two separate dog fights with dogs owned and sponsored by Anderson, Powe and Moody. The two losing dogs died following their injuries sustained in the fights. Both Anderson and Moody trained and fought dogs who attained Champion and/or Grand Champion status, terms used to indicate a dog who has won three and five contract matches respectively, with no losses. "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," Special Agent in Charge Bethanne M. Dinkins of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Office of Inspector General said. This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The Humane Society of the United States, along with other entities, assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.