A Moore County man has been charged with a 14-count indictment for his alleged involvement in a dogfighting ring. According to a superseding indictment unsealed by a federal magistrate judge, Brexton Redell Lloyd, 54, of Eagle Springs, faces one count of conspiracy and thirteen counts of violating the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
The indictment alleges that Lloyd possessed and trained pit bull-type dogs for fighting ventures and conspired to commit these acts in the Middle District of North Carolina and elsewhere throughout the United States. The dogs were seized by federal authorities in a search warrant executed on March 2017.
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog-fighting “victories.” To date, approximately one hundred dogs have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal, including dogs, for purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture. Under federal law, an animal fighting venture means “any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment.”
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney JoAnna G. McFadden of the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Erica Pencak of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division. The Humane Society of the United States assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement.
An indictment is an allegation based upon a finding of probable cause by a grand jury. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted.
If convicted, Lloyd faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine per count. The investigation is ongoing.
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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