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Case #11649 Rating: 2.0 out of 5
Dog-fighting - 17 dogs seized
Ypsilanti, MI (US)Incident Date: Friday, Jun 15, 2007
County: Washtenaw
Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Defendant/Suspect: Ricky Lee Lynch
Case Updates: 4 update(s) available
Seventeen pit bulls police say were used in a dogfighting operation out of Washtenaw County were put down after a Humane Society declared them a public danger, officials said.
"They were all trained to fight and bred to fight," Tanya Hildgendorf, executive director of the Humane Society of Huron Valley in Ann Arbor, said Thursday. "They were not deemed safe animals to be adopted. They were all a danger to society."
The humane society euthanized the dogs on June 20, five days after they were seized in a raid of a 26-year-old Ypsilanti Township man's home, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Ricky L. Lynch is charged with five counts of animal fighting, a felony count of possessing animal-fighting equipment, and a misdemeanor charge of performing animal medical treatment without a veterinary license.
Lynch's lawyer, Arthur Brand of Lincoln Park, said his client plans to fight the charges.
"He doesn't fight dogs and he doesn't train dogs for fighting," Brand said.
Case UpdatesAn Ypsilanti Township man convicted of harboring and training dogs for fighting pleaded guilty to violating his probation, court records show.
Ricky Lee Lynch Jr. admitted to not paying all of the $15,000 in fines or performing the 500 hours of community service ordered by Washtenaw Circuit Judge David Swartz in March 2008.
He pleaded guilty to four counts of illegal dog fighting earlier that year in a case developed by investigators with the Humane Society of Huron Valley who received a tip about abused dogs.
Authorities found 17 pit bulls on his property, and many had wounds and scars consistent with dog fighting. They also found veterinary supplies, fight logs and video equipment. More severe charges were dismissed as part of the deal.
Lynch was sentenced in 2008 to serve five years of probation and $15,000 in fines.
Swartz recently ordered Lynch, 29, to pay $2,000 and an additional $475 per month until he completes the terms of the initial sentence, officials said. He must also complete 20 hours of community service per month during the remainder of his probation. | Source: annarbor.com - Jul 8, 2010
Update posted on Jul 21, 2010 - 5:03PM |
An Ypsilanti Township man with links to an illegal dogfighting ring was sentenced Thursday to serve five years of probation and pay $15,000 in fines.
Ricky Lee Lynch Jr. had been arrested in June after investigators, acting on a tip, found on his property more than a dozen dogs bred for fighting, along with fight logs, videos and equipment used in dogfighting. Seventeen dogs were euthanized.
Lynch pleaded guilty in February to reduced charges of four counts of illegal dogfighting.
Julie Curtis, a cruelty investigator for the Humane Society of Huron Valley, said after the sentencing that she was "a little bit shocked'' and disappointed that Lynch will not serve any time in jail.
"I don't think it sends an appropriate message to the community,'' Curtis said.
During the sentencing hearing, Assistant Prosecutor Blake Hatlem told the court that Michigan law provides for only minimal jail time for such offenses. He said Lynch has reached an agreement that requires him to cooperate and provide additional information that will help "root out other instances of dogfighting.''
Lynch made a brief apology to Washtenaw County Circuit Judge David Swartz but declined to comment to a reporter outside the courtroom.
"My client is nervous and relieved, and he realized he made a mistake that won't happen again in his mind,'' said Lynch's attorney, Arthur Brand, after the sentencing.
Lynch, who has two children and works at a local fast-food restaurant, will be hard-pressed to pay the fines, Brand said. Lynch also has to fulfill several other conditions of his sentence; he must perform 500 hours of community service and pay additional court costs and fees, and he is banned from owning or possessing animals for several years. | Source: Mlive - March 7, 2008
Update posted on Mar 9, 2008 - 12:41PM |
An Ypsilanti Township man suspected of links to a local dog fighting ring has pleaded guilty.
Ricky Lee Lynch Jr. pleaded guilty to four counts of illegal dog fighting, avoiding a trial scheduled for early March, court records show.
Lynch, 26, was arrested in June and charged with five counts of animal fighting, possessing animal-fighting equipment, and performing animal medical treatment without a veterinary license.
Investigators with the Humane Society of Huron Valley, acting on a tip, found 17 pit bulls, including nine bloodied and caged puppies and eight chained-up adult dogs, at his home off of Wiard Road in Ypsilanti Township. All 17 pit bulls were euthanized due to public safety concerns.
Lynch faces up to four years in prison when he is sentenced March 6. | Source: Mlive - Feb 7, 2008
Update posted on Feb 7, 2008 - 11:26PM |
Bloodied pit bull puppies in wire cages, chained-up adult pit bulls, steroids, antibiotics and a videotape where an owner boasts about the fighting ability of his dog. These were all items an animal cruelty investigator testified she found at the Ypsilanti Township home of a man now facing five felony dog-fighting charges.
Julie Curtis, investigator for the Humane Society of Huron Valley, testified Thursday during a preliminary exam against Ricky Lee Lynch, 26, in 41-A District Court in Ann Arbor. Curtis said she searched Lynch's home June 15 after receiving tips about possible dog fighting.
After listening to testimony, Judge Cedric Simpson added three dog-fighting charges, and sent the case for trial in Washtenaw County Circuit Court.
Along with county investigators, Curtis said, she seized 17 pit bulls -- nine puppies and eight adults -- from a fenced-in area in Lynch's backyard. The dogs had scarring on their legs, necks and faces, she said. Curtis said she seized eight videos and photographs of pit bulls nose-to-nose in fighting poses while being held back by adults.
She described a videotape in which Lynch bragged about a dog he called Tonka.
"Tonka's a good dog, fights hard, breaks legs, killed a dog in 9 minutes," Curtis said, recalling Lynch's narration.
Cross-examined by Lynch's attorney, Arthur Brand, Curtis acknowledged she did not find any videos or pictures of actual dog fighting. | Source: Detroit Free Press - July 27, 2007
Update posted on Jul 27, 2007 - 4:20AM |
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