Tarry Jeron ‘TJ’ Wilson Pleads Guilty to Dogfighting Conspiracy in Virginia

Alexandria, VA – In a shocking turn of events, Tarry Jeron "TJ" Wilson, 38, of Westmoreland County, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to engage in dogfighting.

According to court documents, Wilson and his associates used a messaging app private group, referred to as the ‘DMV Board’ or ‘the Board,’ to discuss training fighting dogs, exchange videos about dogfighting, and arrange and coordinate dog fights. Members of the DMV Board also used the messaging app to compare methods of killing dogs that lost fights.

Wilson, who used the kennel name ‘City Limits,’ regularly solicited fights for his dogs and notified his fellow dogfighters of the results. In January 2019, Wilson entered his dog ‘City Limits Lil Bella’ in a fight in Delaware, where the fight lasted one hour and 12 minutes before his dog lost. Wilson later described on the DMV Board how he shot his dog when his attempt to electrocute her failed.

Wilson attended five dogfights in June 2020, including two involving his own dogs. His dog ‘Thor’ won the first fight when the opposing dog quit after 16 minutes, and his dog ‘Red Alert’ won the last fight after 32 minutes when the opposing dog stopped moving. In August 2020, Wilson possessed eight pit-bull type dogs at his Warsaw residence, including four that bore scarring patterns indicating previous involvement in dogfighting.

Wilson warned members of the DMV Board to confirm the death of dogs that they tried to kill and provided instructions on how to kill a losing dog. He also offered to drive to another conspirator’s house to hang the dog from a tree himself. Wilson told his fellow DMV Board members that he ‘loved’ killing losing dogs.

Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber and FBI Special Agent Wayne A. Jacobs made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gordon D. Kromberg and Cristina C. Stam are prosecuting the case.

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