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Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini announced the arrests on Monday, Aug. 9, as the ring allegedly operated in Manhattan, and several other states including homes on Long Island.
Officials said that the Pitbulls involved in the dogfighting ring were bred with the sole purpose of fighting and killing, with some breeders reportedly winning nearly $200,000 on a single fight.
It is alleged that if the dogs failed to fight well or suffered extensive injuries, they were killed by the members of the dogfighting ring. Fights were reportedly based on certain factors including weight and sex, with a “broker” organizing the fights, which could last for hours.
The dogs allegedly were never brought to veterinarians, and instead, a member of the ring called “the doctor” would operate and treat the dogs without having a license.
On Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, Aug. 1 search warrants were executed in seven locations in Suffolk County, three in Nassau, and one in Brooklyn, officials said. Dogs were found in basements, garages, and sheds, some without food or water.
“These are defenseless animals that are bred for one purpose: to kill or be killed for the mere entertainment of these depraved individuals," Sini stated. "The only thing these defendants cared about was money and their own personal status in this sick underground network."
Those arrested on Long Island include:
- William Ashton and Darrel Madison, age 44, of Mastic;
- Jontae Barker, age 32, and Jerome Chapman, age 39 of Bay Shore;
- Edward Hodge, age 74, of Uniondale;
- Jeffrey Spencer, age 65, of Wyandanch;
- Paul Whelan, age 57, of Shirley;
- Timothy Eury, age 43, of Hempstead;
- Charles Macwhinnie, age 52, of Hampton Bays;
- Joseph Owens, age 49, of Amityville.
Each faces up to four years in prison and a $25,000 for animal fighting charges. Madison also faces a first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance charge after nearly 550 grams of cocaine were recovered at his home, which could result in a maximum term of 20 years in prison.
“Many of us have dogs as pets in our homes and we love them as another family member," Sini stated. "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."
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