LONDON, Ky. — Seventeen people have been charged with offenses related to cockfighting in a series of federal indictments unsealed Tuesday.
“Animal fighting ventures are cruel and illegal,” said Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “We are committed to enforcing federal animal cruelty laws and I want to commend the efforts of our law enforcement partners, whose dedication and effort led to these indictments for the Eastern District of Kentucky.”
Two of the indictments, filed in London, detail cockfighting activities in Pike, Clay and Laurel counties, and accuse several law enforcement officers of taking part.
In one indictment, Millard Oscar Hubbard, Timothy Sizemore, Beachel Collett, Lester Collett and Justin Smith are all charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Sizemore is additionally charged with a second conspiracy charge, as well as two counts of taking part in an animal-fighting venture.
Sizemore is accused of organizing and sponsoring cockfights at the Blackberry Chicken Pit, in Ransom. The venue is described as having stadium-style seating, storage areas for live birds, an enclosed cockfighting pit, a concession stand, an announcer booth, a room for selling animal fighting equipment, and four side pits for additional fights.
He is the only person charged in connection with the Blackberry operation.
Sizemore is also accused of helping organize fights at the Riverside Game Club in Clay County along with Hubbard, who allegedly owns the venture.
The Colletts are listed in the indictment as employees of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
In the second indictment, Rickie D. Johnson, Jacklyn R. Johnson, Harold “Fuzzy” Hale are charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, while Orville D. Asher, 39, of London; Dallas M. Cope, 35, of Livingston; Hiram Creech Jr., 47, of East Bernstadt; Bradley Cye Rose, of Parkers Lake; and Joshua Westerfield, 36, of London, are accused of taking part in an animal-fighting venture. Those charges are all in connection with the Bald Rock Fighting Pit in Laurel County.
Two more indictments were filed in Covington, regarding chicken fighting in Northern Kentucky.
In one, Walter H. Mitchell, 55, of Ewing, and Jerrard McVey, 47, and Linda McVey, 42, of Carlisle are charged with conspiracy for taking part in the Valley chicken-fighting venture on the Nicholas-Fleming county line.
In the other, Cruz Alejandro Mercado-Vazquez, 43, of Maysville, is charged with bribery for allegedly offering the Mason County Sheriff more than $5,000 to provide law enforcement protection at a cockfighting venue. He is also charged with taking part in the venture.
All of the charges regarding conspiracy and animal fighting carry maximum prison sentences of five years. The bribery charge against carries a potential maximum sentence of 10 years.
Copies of the indictments appear below:
