var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime() Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Dog-fighting - 5 injured dogs seized - South Bound Brook, NJ (US)
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Case Snapshot
Case ID: 16267
Classification: Fighting
Animal: dog (pit-bull)
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Attorneys/Judges
Prosecutor(s): Wayne Forrest, Robert Hawkes
Defense(s): Steven Lieberman,Joseph Depa,Cedric Ashley,David M
Judge(s): Robert B. Reed, Paul Armstrong


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Dog-fighting - 5 injured dogs seized
South Bound Brook, NJ (US)

Incident Date: Sunday, Mar 7, 2010
County: Somerset

Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted

Defendants/Suspects:
» Barry L. Norman
» Kaysona P. Miller
» Armin L. Spann
» Mylyn M. Robinson
» Artamas K. Miller

Upcoming Court Dates:
» Friday, Jan 28, 2011: While the defendants received different offers, they all had to accept their respective deals or face trial for the offenses, Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Hawkes told the judge. A third-degree animal cruelty conviction could have meant up to five years in state prison and $15,000 in fines. They will be sentenced on Jan. 28.

Case Updates: 3 update(s) available

Five pit bulls will be euthanized after police busted a suspected dog-fighting ring in the basement of an Edgewood Terrace home Sunday.

The five dogs, who were all injured, were "unfortunately" deemed unsuitable for adoption by St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, said Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest.

Five people have been charged with animal fighting and animal cruelty. Charged were Barry L. Norman, 28, of Lincoln Street, South Bound Brook; Kaysona P. Miller, 27, of Edgewood Terrace, South Bound Brook; Armin L. Spann, 31, of Willow Avenue, North Plainfield; Artamas K. Miller, 39, of John Street, Plainfield; and Mylyn M. Robinson, 28, of South 17th Street, Newark. Artamas Miller was also charged with criminal trespass, hindering apprehension and criminal mischief.

Spann and Robinson were lodged in the Somerset County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. Kaysona Miller was remanded to jail in lieu of $1,000. Norman was lodged at jail in lieu of $20,000 bail. Superior Court Judge Robert B. Reed set the bail amounts.

At about 4 p.m. Sunday, South Bound Brook police went to 30 Edgewood Terrace on an anonymous report of dog fighting, according to Forrest.

Officers approaching the home heard dog cries, barks and growls coming from the basement. The officers also heard people in the basement clapping, shouting and whistling, Forrest said.

After getting permission from the landlord and the tenant, Kaysona Miller, to enter the residence, officers discovered in the basement a dog-fighting operation, Forrest said.

The officers found a large blood-stained fighting ring, four pit bulls with facial injuries in crates, a large, bloody water bucket with a blood-soaked rag, and a dog bite stick used to pry open a dog's mouth, according to Forrest.

One of the pit bulls also had a leg injury.

Officers then found a fifth pit bull with a bloody facial injury in the basement bathroom. The bathroom had been damaged by the dog trying to escape, according to an affidavit filed in Superior Court.

There was no visible food or water for any of the dogs and no dog pet accessories, Forrest said.

Kaysona Miller told police told police that Artamas Miller had asked her if Norman could bring over his dog, according to the affidavit. Robinson and Spann also brought their pit bulls to the home, the affidavit said.

Police found Artamas K. Miller in an unoccupied upstairs apartment. Police said he broke into the locked apartment, damaging the door, and was found hiding in a closet, Forrest said.

Detectives from the prosecutor's office, along with an officer from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Humane Police and animal control workers from St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center, responded to the residence to investigate.

Five children ranging in age from 5 to 9 years old also were in the residence at the time of the incident. The state Division of Youth and Family Services was notified and the children were released to relatives.


Case Updates

Five adults today pleaded guilty for their roles in a dog fighting match that occurred earlier this year in South Bound Brook.

The defendants appeared one by one with their respective attorneys before Superior Court Judge Paul Armstrong in Somerville.

Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Hawkes brokered deals with each defendant, tailored to their part in the event on March 7 in the basement of an Edgewood Terrace home. The five pit bulls were seriously injured in the blood sport. They were deemed unsuitable for adoption due to their wounds and temperament by St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center and had to be euthanized, the prosecutor's office has said.

While the defendants received different offers, they all had to accept their respective deals or face trial for the offenses, Hawkes told the judge. A third-degree animal cruelty conviction could have meant up to five years in state prison and $15,000 in fines. They will be sentenced on Jan. 28.

Barry Norman, 29, of South Bound Brook, appeared with defense lawyer Steven Lieberman and admitted that he participated in the dog fighting and brought his own dogs. He pleaded guilty to third-degree fighting or baiting animals and animal cruelty. In exchange, he faces three years in state prison, which will run concurrent to a five-year sentence he is serving for a 2008 drug offense.

Artamas Miller, 40, of Forks Township, Pa., pleaded guilty to third-degree animal fighting and animal cruelty and a fourth-degree charge for criminal trespassing when he appeared alongside defense lawyer Joseph Depa. The attorney quizzed him about the trespassing, and Miller admitted that when police arrived, he left the unit and went to a second-floor residence, where he hid in a closet.

Artamas Miller faces probation, contingent upon 180 days in the county jail, but Armstrong indicated that he would suspend that term at the time of sentencing. He also faces 50 hours of community service, psychiatric counseling and must pay restitution.

Kaysona Miller, 27 , appeared with Cedric Ashley and admitted she was the tenant who allowed the men into the basement of her apartment for the fight. She pleaded guilty to third-degree animal fighting, but Hawkes said that the state would dismiss the third-degree animal cruelty charge and the 12 municipal court summonses when she is sentenced next year.

In exchange, she faces probation, 90 days in the county jail that Armstrong said he would suspend, 50 hours of community service, psychiatric counseling and restitution.

Mylyn Robinson, 28, of Somerville, appeared with David Meiswinkle and pleaded guilty to third-degree animal fighting and animal cruelty in exchange for probation, 364 days in the county jail that Armstrong plans to suspend, 50 hours of community service, psychiatric counseling and restitution.

Armin Spann, 32, of North Plainfield, was the last to appear with his lawyer, Joy Spriggs. In exchange for his guilty plea to third-degree animal fighting and animal cruelty, he faces probation, a suspended 90-day county jail term, and 50 hours of community service, psychiatric counseling and restitution.
Source: nj.com - Nov 12, 2010
Update posted on Nov 12, 2010 - 4:47PM 
Plea offers are on the table for five people accused of dog fighting in South Bound Brook, but there is a key condition.

All of them have to take the deal, or no one gets it, Somerset County Assistant Prosecutor Robert Hawkes said.

The offers were discussed briefly today after the defense lawyers entered not-guilty pleas for their clients during their arraignment before Superior Court Judge John Pursel in Somerville.

The charges stem from the discovery police made on March 7 at a dwelling on Edgewood Terrace, where police found trappings of the blood sport, including a blood-stained fighting ring and five injured pit bulls. The dogs were later euthanized, the state says.

Artamas Miller, 40, of Forks Township, Pa.; Barry Norman, 28, of South Bound Brook; Armin Spann, 32, of North Plainfield; Mylyn Robinson, 28, of Somerville; and Kaysona Miller, 27, of South Bound Brook, are charged with third-degree animal fighting and animal cruelty. Artamas Miller is also charged with fourth-degree criminal trespass. All but Kaysona Miller appeared with their respective attorneys: Joseph Depa, Steven Lieberman, Richard Carlson and David Meiswinkle.

Kaysona Miller, who rented the home on Edgewood Terrace, is additionally charged with a disorderly persons offense for obstructing the administration of law. Defense lawyer Cedric Ashley said his client is incarcerated and he waived her appearance.

If they accept the deal, Norman would face three years in prison and restitution, Hawkes said. The others would face county jail time, probation, community service, restitution and psychiatric treatment. A conviction could mean up to 10 years in prison. Artamas Miller could face up to 11 ½ years.
Source: NJ.com - Jul 16, 2010
Update posted on Jul 21, 2010 - 3:59PM 
Three of five suspects charged in connection with a suspected dog-fighting ring in the basement of a South Bound Brook home remain in Somerset County Jail.

Released on bail were Kaysona Miller, 27, of South Bound Brook, and Artamas Miller, 39, of Plainfield.

Barry Norman, 28, of South Bound Brook; Mylyn Robinson, 28, of Newark; and Armin Spann, 31, of North Plainfield remain incarcerated.

Artamas Miller and Norman were arraigned Tuesday afternoon before state Superior Court Robert Reed in a video conference from the Somerset County Jail.
Source: mycentraljersey.com - Mar 10, 2010
Update posted on Mar 19, 2010 - 1:24PM 

References

  • - March 9, 2010 « NJ State Animal Cruelty Map
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