Animal Abuse: Dog fight reported - 2 dogs seized - Lothian, MD

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Case ID: 16060

Classification: Fighting

Animal: dog (pit-bull)

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Attorneys/Judges

Judge(s):

Shaem C.P. Spencer

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Dog fight reported - 2 dogs seized
Lothian, MD (US)

Incident Date: Friday, Jan 15, 2010
County: Anne Arundel

Charges: Felony CTA, Felony Non-CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged:
» Donnell Antonio Cooper - Convicted
» Nathaniel Lockley - Convicted
» Pervis Erashano Sharps, Sr - Convicted
» Kelvin Nathaniel Greathouse, Jr - Convicted

Case Updates: 4 update(s) available

Anne Arundel County police say they have arrested a number of men for their involvement in a dogfighting ring.

Authorities say late last week, officers from the Southern District responded to the 5100 block of Sands Road in Lothian for a disorderly conduct call. When officers arrived, they found a number of men actively watching and conducting a dogfight in a nearby wooded area.

Officers approached the subjects, who fled on foot through the woods. Officers were able to apprehend four suspects involved in the incident. The two dogs involved were separated and turned over to Animal Control.

The individuals taken into custody are Donnell Antonio Cooper, 23, of Capitol Heights, Nathaniel Lockley, 53, of Upper Marlboro, Pervis Erashano Sharps Sr., 34, of Lothian and Kelvin Nathaniel Greathouse Jr., 23, also of Upper Marlboro.

They were charged with animal cruelty, dog fighting, mutilating animals, dog fighting spectator, trespassing, and counterfeiting.

Case Updates

An Annapolis District Court judge sentenced a Lothian man to supervised probation yesterday for watching an illegal dogfight last winter.

Pervis Erashano Sharps Sr., 35, of 1204 Whittington Drive, received 18 months of supervised probation, was fined $500 and ordered to give $540 to county Animal Control to repay it for the care of two pit bulls injured in the Jan. 16, 2010, dogfight.

Sharps' trial came more than six months after co-defendants Nathaniel Lockley, Donnell Antonio Cooper and Kelvin Nathaniel Greathouse, a relative of Sharps, pleaded guilty to their roles in the fight.

After hearing both sides of Sharps' case yesterday, District Court Judge Shaem C.P. Spencer said he was convinced Sharps was a spectator at the dogfight.

According to prosecutors, county police broke up the fight in a wooded area in the 5100 block of Sands Road after receiving an anonymous tip.

Police followed animal footprints and the sound of dogs barking through the woods to the top of a steep ravine. Officers testified yesterday to looking down the ravine and spotting a dogfight with a group of men huddled around it. None could identify Sharps as part of that group.

After watching for about a minute, the officers announced their presence. A group of men ran through the woods, while Greathouse, who uses a wheelchair, Lockley and Cooper stayed behind and were arrested.

One officer chased the group of men through the woods but did not catch them. Another officer rounded up the two pit bulls, which were bleeding from multiple deep scratches and bites suffered in the fight.

Police testified that Sharps showed up at the scene about 30 minutes after the dogfight was broken up.

Sharps told police he was there to pick up his two boys, who were playing in the woods.

He then said he was there to get his Dodge Magnum, which was parked in a driveway where police initially responded.

A mechanic who lives at the residence testified that Sharps dropped his car off for maintenance and had left.

Police found Sharps' two sons near the scene.

Prosecutors said Sharps eventually admitted to watching the fight for about five minutes, but said it was by accident.

David E. Williams Jr., Sharps' attorney, argued that his client was near the scene to drop off his car. He said Sharps "unwittingly" happened upon the ravine and saw "something going on."

Spencer said watching the fight, even for five minutes, makes him a spectator and found him guilty of the offense.

"I think it's clear you were watching a dogfight," he said.

Sharps was found not guilty of two counts of animal cruelty, animal mutilation and trespassing.

Sharps' fiancee, Patricia Joseph, was unhappy with the guilty finding but said the family will move on.

"He just wanted to get it over with," she said.

Source: hometownannapolis.com - Mar 3, 2011
Update posted on Mar 3, 2011 - 6:18PM

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According to court records, Donnell Cooper pleaded guilty to one count of being a spectator at a dog fight on July 9, 2010. 5 other charges were dismissed as part of a plea bargain. He was sentenced to one year in jail, which was suspended on the condition that he not violate the terms of his probation. He was also ordered to pay court costs and $540.00 restitution.

The same date, Nathaniel Lockley accepted the same deal. He was senteced to 30 days in jail, one year probation, court costs, and $540.00 in restitution.

Defendant Pervis Sharps is scheduled to go on trial for dog-fighting on September 29, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. in the Anne Arundel Courthouse, located at 251 Rowe Bl, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Source: Anne Arundel Circuit Court
Update posted on Aug 27, 2010 - 3:10PM

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A Prince George's County man was sentenced to probation yesterday for arranging a dogfight in Lothian earlier this year.

Kelvin Nathaniel Greathouse Jr., 23, of Upper Marlboro pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison, but Maryland Circuit Court Judge Paul A. Hackner suspended all the jail time. Greathouse will be on probation for two years and he was ordered to undergo drug and alcohol testing and treatment and to not have any animals, Hackner ruled in Circuit Court in Annapolis.

Assistant State's Attorney Kimberly DiPietro said in court that on Jan. 16, officers were anonymously tipped to a dogfight in the woods in the 5100 block of Sands Road in south county. When they arrived, they heard dogs "barking, yelping and growling" deeper in the woods and called for back-up help.

They saw two pit bulls fighting, and both appeared to have injuries to their heads, neck and legs, DiPietro said.

When those at the dogfight saw officers, most ran off, but a few stayed: Greathouse and his co-defendants, Donnell Antonio Cooper, of Capitol Heights, Pervis Ershano Sharps Sr., of Whittington Drive in Lothian, and Nathaniel Lockley, of Upper Marlboro.

Greathouse, who is in a wheelchair because he is paralyzed, told police he had brought his dog from La Plata in the back of a U-Haul truck for the fight. There was a $200 bet on the fight, DiPietro said.

The other person who brought a dog, known only to Greathouse as "Miller," remains unidentified.

Defense attorney Ronan Gulstone said in court that his client "just didn't realize the sort of hurt he was causing to the dogs," and that he's been reading up on dogfighting and its effect on the animals since his arrest.

"He realizes his conduct is reprehensible. There's no excuse for his conduct on that day," Gulstone said.

Greathouse himself also acknowledged his guilt.

"I realize that I made a mistake," he said in court.

Hackner said it would be "naive" to not realize that dogfighting caused harm.

"In this day and age, you'd have to be living on Mars or under a rock" not to know the damage it causes, he said.

Though DiPietro had asked the judge to order Greathouse to have no contact with his co-defendants, Hackner did not impose this condition.

He did rule that Greathouse, along with any co-defendant who is found guilty, will have to pay a total of $540 to county Animal Control to repay them for the care of the animals.

Both Cooper and Lockley, Greathouse's co-defendants, are scheduled to be in court for status conferences on July 9. Sharps is scheduled for trial in District Court on June 28, according to online court records.

Source: Hometownannapolis.com - Jun 14, 2010
Update posted on Jun 14, 2010 - 12:50PM

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A trial date has been set for four men accused of being involved in a dog-fighting ring.

Donnell Antonio Cooper, Nathaniel Lockley, Pervis Erashano Sharps Sr., and Kelvin Nathaniel Greathouse Jr. are scheduled to go on trial June 28, 2010, at 8:45 a.m. in Anne Arundel District Court, located at 251 Rowe Blvd. in Annapolis.

Source: Case Number: 0A00217196
Update posted on Mar 25, 2010 - 4:10PM

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References

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Dog fight reported - 2 dogs seizedLothian, MD (US)

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Dog fight reported - 2 dogs seized
Lothian, MD (US)