Pensacola, Florida – Logging chains, rape stands, treadmills and horrible, bloody fights to the death – this is the awful reality for dogs forced into organized dog fighting. After a lengthy investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, eight individuals in Florida have been indicted on dogfighting charges. Please join us as we demand the maximum punishment for these cruel people!
According to the U .S. Department of Justice, the individuals accused of participating in organized dog fighting are:
Jermaine Terrell Hadley, 31, Quincy
Devar San Jacus Donaldson, 27, Quincy
Sariem Shanquell McMillan, 23, Quincy
Randell Lavel Colston, 47, Quincy
Bob Streets, 35, Quincy
Zanntayfey Yohoun Bennett, 35, Quincy
Dennis Lamar Howard, 45, Chattahoochee
Leonard Safford, 37, Gretna
Approximately 100 dogs were seized during the dog-fighting raid, they are in the possession of the United States Marshals Service.
Miles Davis, an acting special agent in charge at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, commented about the ties between organized dog fighting and other criminal activity:
“These ventures as proven by this investigation entail other criminal activity involving drugs, firearms and gambling,” he said. “This investigation in particular proves how intertwined illegal dog fighting ventures are with these other serious crimes.”
An undercover video released this week shows the ugly, violent nature of dog fights – the video was obtained in a wooded area near Tallahassee. Eric Mountin, an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Florida.”It’s not unusual for these things to go on for hours,” Mountin added. “If you don’t see [it], you can’t fully appreciate the cruelty.”
Watch the video here.
Everyone involved in this violent blood sport must be punished to the full extent of the law – please join us in asking for justice!
Update 4/27/2022: Animal Victory has learned that sentencing for Colston, Randell has been reset for 05/02/2022 at 11:00 am.
Update 1/24/2022: Animal Victory has learned that Z. Bennett was sentenced to 78 months in prison with 5 years of probation, and 60 months in prison with 3 years of probation; sentences are to be run consecutively. The final sentencing for Colston, Randell has been reset to 3/11/2022 at 1:30 p.m.
Update 5/14/2021: Animal Victory has learned that the following defendants have scheduled reset sentencing dates.
Hadley, Jermaine Terrell 06/04/2021 10 am
Donaldson, Devar San Juacus 07/08/2021 11 am
Bennett, Zanntayfey Yohoun 07/07/2021 10 am
Colston, Randell Level 07/15/2021 2:30 pm
Streets, Bob 06/23/2021 2:30 pm
McMillian, Sariem Shaquell 06/24/2021 2:30 pm
*** All sentencing hearings are before Chief Judge Mark E. Walker in United States Courtroom 5 West
111 North Adams St.
Tallahassee FL, 32301
Update 3/26/2021: Animal Victory has been informed of the following updates:
1) Howard- case terminated on 2/13/2020 – pleaded guilty, time served, two years probation and six months of home monitoring.
2) Donaldson – in custody, sentencing reset for April 2021
3) Bennett – in custody, sentencing reset for 5/28/2021
4) Hadley – in custody, accepted plea then case sealed, no further date found
5) Safford – in custody, sealed, change of plea, reduce sentence motion denied, filled appeal on 8/4/2020, court of appeals deadline set for 5/8/2021
6) Colston – released, sentencing reset for 4/15/2021
7) Streets – released, sentencing reset for 4/14/2021
8) McMillian – released, sentencing reset for 6/24/2021
All defendants, minus Safford and Howard, denied plea agreement, plea was changed, the agreement accepted, then cases sealed. Safford changed his plea, then filed for an appeal. Howard, plead guilty right away. All have Judge Walker, except Safford who is now in court of appeals. The sentencing dates have been rescheduled multiple times since mid 2020.
January 2021 – Eric K. Mountin, Assistant U.S. Attorney, sent the following email to Animal Victory on January 19: Ms. Babington, thank you for your message; all of the charged defendants in the case have pleaded guilty and are scheduled for sentencing hearings over the next several months, depending on any COVID limitations. We are still waiting for a court date.
Update 8/22/2020: Two defendants have been sentenced. Leonard Safford has been sentenced to prison time. The defendant is hereby committed to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons to be imprisoned for a total term of Forty-Eight (48) months as to Counts One, Forty-Two through Forty-Six and Forty-Eight through Fifty, all to be served concurrently with each other. Upon release from imprisonment, Safford will be on supervised release for a term of three (3) years as to Counts One, Forty-Two through Forty-Six and Forty-Eight through Fifty, all to be served concurrently with each other.
Howard Dennis pleaded guilty to Title & Section Nature of Offense Ended Count, 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 and 49, 7 U.S.C. § 2156(a)(1) and
7 U.S.C. § 2156(b) Conspiracy to Exhibit Dogs in an Animal Fighting Venture and to Possess, Train, Transport and Deliver Dogs for Animal Fighting
Ventures. The defendant shall be placed on home detention with GPS location monitoring for six months of supervision. The location monitoring fee
will be paid for by the government. The defendant may leave the residence with the prior permission of the supervising officer for gainful
employment, education, medical care, religious services, or other similar purposes approved by the probation officer.
The six other defendants are set for trial in October and November. The courts and prisons have no-contact/COVID orders that are delaying the trials.
As this is is still ongoing, Eric K. Mountin, the Assistant U.S. Attorney, has told Animal Victory to keep sending signatures. Please continue to sign and share.
UPDATE: February 3, 2020 We have been informed by the prosecuting attorney that the current trial date (February 3) was moved at request of the remaining (2) defendants. The new date is April 27th. Please continue to sign and share.
UPDATE: January 31, 2020 Our letter of intent to help influence the judge to impose the maximum sentence was sent to the prosecuting attorney along with over 10,500 signatures. Sentencing is set for February 3rd, 2020.
Update December 2019: The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida issued a news release about this dog-fighting operation; it states:
A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment charging three
men – including a Federal Bureau of Prisons employee – with 51 counts of federal dogfighting
offenses. The charges stem from an investigation into drug trafficking and a large- scale illegal
dogfighting operation involving over 100 dogs. The superseding indictment was announced by Lawrence
Keefe, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Most of the dogs used by the defendants were recovered by the United States Marshals Service and
have been placed with appropriate foster organizations.
The defendants named in this indictment are:
● Jermaine Terrell Hadley, 31, Quincy, Florida;
● Leonard Safford, 37, Gretna, Florida;
● Decarlise Chapman, 46, Marianna, Florida.
The superseding indictment adds Chapman, who is an employee of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a
defendant in the case. Hadley and Stafford, among several other individuals, were named in the June
4, 2019, indictment in this case, but the other defendants have entered guilty pleas and therefore
are not included the superseding indictment.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/press-release/file/1224861/download
Animal-Protection-Laws-of-Florida-2020-Animal-Legal-Defense-Fund
* Individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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