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Case #1525 Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Dogfighting
Toms River, NJ (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Oct 27, 2001
County: Ocean
Disposition: Convicted
Defendants/Suspects:
» Russell J. Foster
» William E. Monaco
» Nestor Crespo
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A 34-year-old New York state man, who collected admission fees at a dogfight held inside a Dover Township warehouse in 2001, was sentenced yesterday to six months in jail.
State Superior Court Judge Peter J. Giovine also sentenced William E. Monaco, a limousine driver from Wappingers Falls, N.Y., to four years of probation. He must also never own, train or breed dogs.
Monaco was taken to jail immediately after sentencing, despite pleas from his attorney for a month to prepare. With good behavior, he could serve as little as two months.
Prosecutors charged that Monaco collected several hundred dollars on the night of Oct. 27, 2001, and was promised a cut of the proceeds by Russell J. Foster, the Dover Township man who organized the fight inside a Route 9 warehouse owned by his stepfather.
More than $30,000 in bets were placed that night. During the fight, four dogs were injured and later euthanized.
A tip from the animal-welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals led authorities to raid the warehouse the night of the dogfights. Forty-three people -- including both alleged organizers and spectators -- were arrested and subsequently indicted.
In accepting a plea agreement from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, Monaco pleaded guilty to three counts of animal cruelty and agreed to testify against Foster.
In asking for leniency, Shelly Albert, Monaco's attorney, told Giovine that her client only agreed to collect admissions at the last minute because the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks had affected his limousine business and he needed money.
Albert also stressed his cooperation with police.
"Mr. Monaco, from the night of his arrest, completely cooperated with police," Albert told the judge.
Monaco also told Giovine that, "You'll never see me here again."
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Ronald F. DeLigny, however, painted a different picture, telling Giovine that Monaco came to Dover the night before and helped buy supplies for the fight, and also knew that he would profit from it beforehand. In the end, Giovine sided with the prosecution.
Case UpdatesA Somerset man admitted Monday to attending Dover Township dog fights that left many dogs dead or injured, a county prosecutor said yesterday.
Nestor Crespo, 34, pleaded guilty to animal cruelty before Superior Court Judge Edward J. Turnbach, according to court records. He is to be sentenced May 19.
Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Hillary H. Bryce is not seeking jail time for Crespo.
Crespo attended at least one dog fight at a Route 9 warehouse that was raided by police on Oct. 27, 2001, Bryce said.
At the time, news reports stated that more than 40 people from several East Coast states were arrested and charged.
Two pit bulls were euthanized due to severe injuries, police said, and a 15- by 15-foot blood-stained ring was found in the warehouse.
Spectators from New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, New York and Virginia would pay $20 to attend.
Police seized more than $30,000 in cash during the raid.
Officials alleged that the owner's stepson, Russell Foster, used the warehouse to host the fights. The owner, Stanley Cohen, did not know about the fights, officials said.
Foster was sentenced in 2003 to 364 days in the county jail. Several spectators, including Crespo, had been admitted into the pretrial intervention program. Crespo was later taken out of the program, Bryce said.
A bench warrant was issued when Crespo failed to appear for a status conference in June 2004, Bryce said. He has been in the Ocean County Jail since March 20, a jail spokesman said. | Source: Times-Beacon - March 29, 2006
Update posted on Apr 10, 2006 - 11:31PM |
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