All USAO Press Releases

Onill Vazquez Lozada of Providence, Rhode Island, pleaded guilty today to two counts of possessing, sponsoring, and exhibiting birds in an animal fighting venture in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.

BOSTON – A Hanson, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing dogs at his Massachusetts home for participation in a dogfighting venture.

A Massachusetts man was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, with the final three months to be served in community confinement, after pleading guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture, in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act.

Terrell Williams admitted hosting dog fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his home on two occasions. 
 

All 14 defendants in a large-scale federal dog fighting case indicted last year in Albany, Georgia, have now been convicted.

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Thomas Scionti, 36, of Tempe, was sentenced on Tuesday by United States District Judge John J. Tuchi to 47 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Scionti pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person and Animal Crushing in two separate cases on October 3, 2024. 

Tampa, FL — Jose Miguel Carrillo, of Spring Hill, Florida, was sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Jose Miguel Carrillo, of Spring Hill, Florida, was sentenced to 84 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to violate the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

CINCINNATI – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty in federal court in Cincinnati today to conspiracy related to his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing “animal crush” videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Mario Damon Flythe, 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention – followed by three years of supervised release; a $10,000 fine, and an additional $2,800 in a forfeiture money judgment, for his involvement in a multi-state dogfighting conspiracy. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Columbus man was arrested in conjunction with the unsealing of a grand jury indictment charging him with illegally possessing dogs for fighting purposes, possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and illegally possessing a firearm subsequent to a felony conviction.

A Columbia County, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison Thursday for her role in a conspiracy to defraud customers seeking to adopt pets and illegally dispensing prescription animal drugs without a lawful order of a veterinarian.