POWHATAN, Va. (AP) - Two men have been sentenced in a cockfighting operation in Virginia involving more than 300 birds.
News outlets report Attorney General Mark Herring’s office said a Wednesday release says 41-year-old Isaias Andrade Andiola and 42-year-old Juan Jose Benitez oversaw the operation. Authorities seized the birds, a dog, two pigs and paraphernalia, including 122 short knives and supplements to enhance the birds’ sparring capabilities.
Andrade was sentenced to six months in prison on an Alford plea to animal fighting. An Alford plea acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to convict without admitting guilt. He’s barred from possessing animals for the rest of his life.
Benitez received a suspended sentence on a guilty plea to misdemeanors. He can’t have animals for five years.
Both men must pay nearly $3,500 in restitution.
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