According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in a statement issued on Tuesday, the defendants allegedly operated the dog fighting enterprise between January 2021 and May 2026.
Two men from Statesville, North Carolina, have been charged in a federal indictment for allegedly operating a multi-state commercial dog breeding enterprise that raised, trained, advertised, and sold pit bulls for illegal dog fighting activities.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced that the indictment, which was unsealed on Monday, charges 19-year-old Juelz Christopher Daniels and 55-year-old Reginald Lionel Goodson Jr. with conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act.
Daniels faces additional charges, including possession, training, and sale of fighting dogs, as well as multiple counts of violating the Animal Welfare Act related to the alleged possession, training, sale, and advertisement of fighting dogs through Facebook.
Authorities said both men were arrested last Thursday. During coordinated law enforcement operations, search warrants were executed at three residences, leading to the rescue and seizure of 25 pit bull-type dogs, including puppies, as well as items allegedly associated with breeding and training animals for dog fighting.
