Woman Who Raised, Trained, and Traded Roosters for Illegal Cockfighting Sentenced After Federal Conviction

Woman Who Raised, Trained, and Traded Roosters for Illegal Cockfighting Sentenced After Federal Conviction

CONCORD – A Chester woman was sentenced today in federal court for her involvement in illegal cockfighting activities in New Hampshire and North Carolina, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.

Jennifer Scott, 42, was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $2,500 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrea K. Johnstone. As a term of her probation, the defendant is prohibited from owning or raising roosters or chickens. In October 2025, Scott pleaded guilty to one count of Attending an Animal Fighting Venture.

According to court documents, the defendant had been using her property in New Hampshire to raise and train roosters for cockfighting. On several occasions, she transported roosters to North Carolina, where she traded them and had them participate in illegal cockfighting events. During a search warrant executed on her property, law enforcement recovered sparring muffs used to train roosters for cockfighting, a sparring aid used to entice roosters to attack the simulated opponent, 76 roosters, 84 hens, 261 juvenile chickens, and an egg incubator.

“The defendant participated in a multistate cockfighting venture and profited from animal cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “The conduct was extensive, involving networks of participants at multiple locations in North Carolina, as well as scores of animals. Today’s sentence stands as a warning to those who participate in and fuel the market for this brutal conduct.” 

The investigation was led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Law Enforcement Division, New Hampshire State Police, Massachusetts State Police, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Animal Rescue League of Boston Law Enforcement Division, and the Chester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo prosecuted the case.