A Massachusetts man was arrested Friday on federal dogfighting prices, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
John Murphy, 50, of Hanson, was indicted on 9 counts of possessing animals to be used in an animal preventing enterprise in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. He was scheduled to seem in federal courtroom in Boston on Friday morning.
The indictment and arrest comes after federal brokers and the Animal Rescue League of Boston searched a home on East Washington Street in Hanson final June. Throughout the day, investigators have been seen taking out containers, paper luggage and empty animal crates. At the time, a regulation enforcement supply instructed NBC10 Boston that the investigation concerned a number of areas in Massachusetts and two different states.
Investigators launched few particulars on the investigation Wednesday however could possibly be seen eradicating objects, together with animal crates, from the home.
According to the indictmentMurphy possessed quite a few objects related to possessing dogs for participation in an animal preventing enterprise at his residence in Hanson, together with intravenous infusion gear; syringes; antibiotics; injectable anabolic steroids; injectable corticosteroids; a pores and skin stapler; forceps; gear used to coach dogs, together with a treadmill, a slat mill, a carpet mill, and a flirt pole; canine coaching and preventing literature; a dangling digital scale used to weigh dogs for matches; written coaching regimens; break sticks, used to separate preventing dogs; and a breeding stand used to immobilize feminine dogs throughout breeding to stop hurt whereas mating.
Federal officers additionally filed a civil forfeiture complaint in opposition to 13 pit bull-type dogs, seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and one other residence in Townsend. As alleged within the grievance, a number of of the seized dogs had proof of scarring. The dogs are at present within the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
At each areas the place the dogs have been seized from, objects related in unlawful dogfighting operations have been discovered, together with coaching gear, veterinary provides, canine preventing literature, DVDs, kennels used to deal with dogs individually and break sticks, which dogfighters use to drive open a canine’s bit onto one other canine’s physique on the termination of a struggle or whereas coaching.
The grievance additionally alleges that Murphy communicated with different dogfighters by way of Facebook, the place they mentioned the outcomes of dogfights, accidents sustained by preventing dogs and breeding dogs. Federal prosecutors say Murphy additionally belonged to non-public dogfighting Facebook teams used to share struggle outcomes, purchase and promote preventing dogs and trade data on coaching and conditioning preventing dogs, amongst different issues.
Federal prosecutors stated Murphy’s Facebook accounts additionally contained a photograph of a pit bull-type canine with scarring and discolorations on its head and leg according to dogfighting, a photograph of a pit bull-type canine restrained in a breeding stand and movies that depicted pit bull-type dogs bodily tethered to treadmill-like units generally used to bodily situation dogs for a dogfight. One video confirmed what seemed to be dwell bait placed on the finish of the treadmill to entice the canine to run sooner and more durable.
The prices of possessing animals to be used in an animal preventing enterprise every present for a sentence of as much as 5 years in jail, three years of supervised launch and a nice of as much as $250,000.
