ASPCA Humane Law Enforcement Agents Arrest Cockfighting Suspects

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Monday, 20 January 2003

Arrest followed a nine-month investigation that included use of surveillance and undercover personnel.

Agents from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' Humane Law Enforcement (HLE) department along with personnel from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the New York Police Deparment (NYPD) executed a search warrant on Saturday, January 18 at a cockfighting location in the Bronx. The raid resulted in the arrest of 137 people, the seizure of $40,000 in cash, 38 fighting roosters and a Dodge van used to transport spectators to the location.

The execution of the warrant at 3400 Park Avenue, followed a nine-month investigation conducted by HLE and included the use of surveillance and undercover personnel. Twenty-eight of the suspects arrested were involved in running the operation and were charged with prohibition of animal fighting, a felony under the Agriculture and Markets Law and promoting gambling and criminal facilitation. The 109 spectators were charged with misdemeanor counts of animal fighting and issued summonses for future court dates. Seven of the spectators had outstanding criminal court warrants and were taken into custody by the NYPD's Bronx Warrant Squad.

The location of the raid, which was heavily fortified with two steel doors and security guards, was located on the second floor of a converted factory where a fighting ring and bleachers had been built. The location also included food stands, a staffed bar, a room for preparing the fighting roosters and a dice table.

The suspects who were the operators of the ring, 24 males and four females are currently awaiting arraignment at Bronx Criminal Court.

For more information, or to contact American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, see their website at: www.aspca.org