The wheels of justice are turning down on the Gulf Coast as several people arrested for cock-fighting pleaded guilty to in federal court over the last two months.
ICE and a horde of law enforcement agents busted a cock-fighting ring in Gulfport. on May 3. An FBI Special Agent's affidavit stated:
An ICE press release stated:
The investigation was led by the ICE Homeland Security Task Force and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force. In addition to possible state and federal charges relating to animal fighting and gambling, other investigative areas included illegal aliens, narcotics and weapons. Partners in the operation include ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI..... ICE press release
A federal grand jury indicted Alvin Smith, Jr., Alvin Smith, III. Herbert Smith, Tammie Cuevas, Rachel Reddoch, and Louis Summers, Jr. on May 21. The indictment charges all with conspiracy to violate federal law. The Smiths are charged with sponsoring and abetting the use of roosters in animal fighting as well as illegal gambling.
The indictment alleges the Smiths ran the "Smith Family Pit." Determined to bring the glory of cock-fighting to the Gulf Coast, they installed "stadium seating for 100 people" and a dirt pit. They used social media and text messages to promote "cock-fighting derbies" at the pit. The defendants charged a for those entering their roosters in the event.
Cuevas and others worked the concession stands (Who says cockfighters don't place a premium on customer service?). Reddoch worked the gate and collected entry fees while Summers played referee. The defendants engaged a fully wired informant into betting on the cock fights. The indictment states three cockfights took place in May, April, and February.
The defendants all posted bond. However, Alvin Smith, III got stupid and managed to get his bond revoked in August after he was arrested for simple assault - domestic violence. He also tested positive for methamphetamine.
Reddoch, Herbert Smith, and Summers pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in August. They will be sentenced in December. Alvin Smith, Jr., Cuevas, and Alvin Smith, III are scheduled to go to trial in November.
11 comments:
There's a Monday headline!
This should not be a crime at all. I can see how people get upset at putting a vicious dog into the ring with a weak dog and letting one kill the other. However, two roosters will literally fight to the death if they encounter each other in the wild. This is just guys betting on a 100% natural phenomenon.
Lowlifes-
You should visit Scott County lots of Chicken fighting going on.
Low hanging fruit, but crooked politicians walk free.
It’s just another assault on masculinity. The only men who would be upset by this are fruitcakes as sweet as a sugar plum fairy.
But roofing companies all over MS still employ dozens of illegals.
Crime of the century but politicians walk free in the TANF scandal.
I had some customers in my business that enjoy the sport. I asked them if it was legal. They replied that is wasn’t exactly “dislegal”. They would make great attorneys
LOL they wasted my tax dollars on this? I use to work at a kill plant and we went through 500,000 pounds of chicken a day.
TANF funds Derangement Syndrome is real. This blog proves it. Focus on that one issue real hard and post about it often and things will change, right??? Lol
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