Federal authorities announced charges Monday against two South Jersey men allegedly involved in a dog-fighting operation in which the suspects livestreamed dog fights, shared videos training dogs to fight, and filmed the killing of “underperforming dogs.”
Tommy J. Watson, 43, of Clayton and Johnnie Lee Nelson, 34, of Bridgeton, violated the Animal Welfare Act by fighting, training, transporting and possessing pit bull-type dogs, from August 2017 through March 2019, according to charging documents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The pair operated a dog-fighting venture called “From Da Bottom Kennels,” which posted bloodline information of fighting dogs owned by the kennel on the dog fighting website “Peds Online,” charging documents allege.
READ MORE: Sick puppies. Healthy profits.
Watson and Nelson worked with others to develop and maintain “properties for housing and training pit bull-type dogs for use in dog fights, and for using and storing dog fighting equipment,” according to the state.
They also acquired and maintained medical equipment, including skin staplers, suture removers and veterinary injectable medications, for the purpose of attempting to treat dogs injured during dog fights, in order to avoid a veterinarian, prosecutors allege.
The men communicated using the “DMV Board” on Telegram, an encrypted messaging app that allows users to send messages, create groups and send videos.
Watson, also known as “Snakes,” and Nelson, who also goes by “Johnny,” used the Telegram group to transmit videos of live dog fights, of training dogs for fights, and of the killing of underperforming fighting dogs, including by hanging, according to charging documents.
The men often filmed dog fights an auto repair garage located on Center Road in Upper Deerfield Township in Cumberland County, authorities said. Over the years, they worked to evade authorities.
On March 23, 2019, a co-conspirator placed a 911 call, falsely reporting a robbery at a…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply