PIKEVILLE, Ky. — An investigation into cockfighting operations in two Eastern Kentucky counties has now wrapped up, after the final defendants in the case entered guilty pleas this month.
Investigations into the Blackberry Chicken Pit in Pike County and the Whitesburg Chicken Pit in Letcher County resulted in federal criminal indictments against eight people — two for Blackberry and six for Whitesburg. One of the Whitesburg defendants died before his case was resolved and the charges against him were dropped.
Timothy Sizemore and Perry Hatfield were convicted of running an animal fighting venture for the Blackberry Chicken Pit. Sizemore was sentenced to 26 months in prison, while Hatfield received eight months of home incarceration.
The remaining five defendants in Whitesburg have all pleaded guilty, but are still awaiting sentencing. They include:
- Robert Dewayne Baker pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit animal fighting.
- Virgil Saylor and Tina Miller pleaded guilty to help run the chicken fights.
- Brandon Honeycutt pleaded guilty to being a referee at the fights.
- And Chris Prater pleaded guilty to exhibiting an animal at a chicken fight.
The effort was led by Det. Zachary Bryson, who is assigned to KSP’s Drug Enforcement Special Investigations unit and serves as a task force officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
