RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — Nearly a dozen people have been arrested after 89 dogs were rescued from an expansive dogfighting ring in Suffolk County, according to District Attorney Tim Sini.
On Monday, the DA announced the arrests of 10 individuals in connection to the interstate operation that operated across Long Island, in New York City, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Officials say the dogs were bred for the purpose of fighting and killing other animals. They reportedly lived in poor conditions and were killed if they were too injured or could not fight.
“We will not tolerate these types of crimes – crimes that injure and, in many cases, result in the death of vulnerable animals,” Sini said. “This case is about how a criminal network bred dogs, tortured them, and put them in serious harm’s way just to make a buck.”
Individuals would often bet on the outcome of the dog fights, and according to reports, one person once made a $175,000 bet on a fight.
WNBC-TV reports Acting Suffolk County Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron called the ring “one of the most disturbing cases I have ever seen in Suffolk County.”
According to Sini, investigators infiltrated the ring and took it down from the inside.
The DA says there are recordings of the defendants talking about animal abuse, including the electrocution of some dogs and the immobilization of female dogs for breeding.
According to WABC-TV, the suspects have been identified as men ranging in age from 32 to 80:
- Paul Whelan, 57, of Shirley
- Edward Hodge, 74, of Uniondale
- Darrel Madison, 44, of Mastic
- Jeffrey Spencer, 65, of Wyandanch
- Charles Macwhinnie, 52, of Hampton Bays
- William Ashton, a.k.a. "Mr. Bill," 80, of Mastic
- Joseph Owens, 49, of Amityville
- Jontae Barker, 32, of Bay Shore
- Jerome Chapman, 39, of Bay Shore
- Timothy Eury, 43, of Hempstead
All suspects have pleaded not guilty and have been released on their own recognizance.
In addition to the 89 dogs, which were rescued in New York and Connecticut, authorities also seized cash, kennels, treadmills used in the ring, steroids and plugging cords, which are used in the electrocution of dogs.
All 89 dogs have been moved to shelters by the ASPCA.
Sini is empaneling a special grand jury to investigate this case.
“The Special Grand Jury will be considering recommendations we can make to strengthen the laws on animal cruelty and further protect animals from this kind of senseless abuse,” Sini said. “We need to hold these bad actors accountable for their violent actions and these crimes need to be treated seriously under our law.”