Three men investigators say have been breeding, selling and fighting the roosters at four sites in Fellsmere -- Antonio Lopez, 43, Willis Wilson, 58, and Charles Buck Raulerson, 51 -- have been arrested and charged with raising the birds for staged fights, a third-degree felony in the state since June. The crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The undercover investigation, dubbed "Operation Birddog" and led by Deputy Gary Smith and Lt. Bud Spencer, has helped to dismantle "the largest cockfighting network in the state," said Sheriff Roy Raymond, a longtime Fellsmere area resident with a 10-acre farm just south of the city. He said undercover help was provided by the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office.
Raymond said the birds are worth at least $500,000. During the investigation, undercover agents purchased two birds for $300 each, but reported one bird had a $10,000 price tag, he said.
"The sheer number of animals is something we have never seen before," said Joan Carlson, executive director of the local Humane Society.
And another 500 birds likely will be found as the 15-month undercover investigation continues through at least today, Raymond said Friday morning. "We have identified others in the county keeping a smaller number of birds. (This is a warning) to get out of the business or go to jail. We are not going to tolerate cockfighting in this county."
Under cover of early morning darkness, 70 members of the Sheriff's Office and both The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County and The Humane Society of the United States swooped down on the rural sites where they found many of the birds tethered by their legs on short leashes.
Laura Bevan, director of the Southeast Regional Office of the national Humane Society in Tallahassee and a drafter of the "The Animal Fighting Bill" passed by the state Legislature on June 24, said the bust was the largest undertaking the organization has worked anywhere in the country.
The law makes it illegal to possess, breed, train or sell the game fowl for the purpose of fighting regardless of where they might be sold or shipped.
Cockfighting has been illegal in Florida since 1985, but it has not been against the law to breed the birds and ship them to Louisiana or New Mexico, where cockfighting is legal, or to other states less concerned about stopping cockfights, such as Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi, Raymond said.
Raymond and Bevan also said that there often is a relationship between animal abuse and child and spouse abuse, an area they also would be investigating.
A few of the birds were examined on site by local veterinarians before being placed in cat cages and hauled on flatbed trucks to the Humane Society on 77th Street for shelter and eventual euthanization.
Veterinarians George Jutras, of Sebastian, and David Kilpatrick, of Vero Beach, said the small sample they examined at a breeding farm on the corner of County Road 512 and 125th Court, one of two farms allegedly run by Lopez, had cuts on their necks and eye problems and were largely underweight.
Most of the roosters also were missing their top combs and the wattles beneath their beaks. Breeders slice them off with scissors, without anesthetic, Raymond said during the investigation of Wilson's alleged breeding farm on 134th Court off 103rd St.
By Friday afternoon, owners of many of the birds had relinquished possession and ownership to the local Humane Society, according to Sheriff's Office spokesman Deputy Joe Flescher.
"This will make it easier to assure the birds (die) with dignity instead of (from) the torture they were certain to face," he said. Otherwise, the Humane Society must go to court and seek custody of the animals. Case UpdatesDanny L. Proffitt, 34, was charged last February with fighting or baiting animals, a third-degree felony punishable by five years in prison and/or a $5,000 fine.
Under a plea agreement reached with state prosecutors, Proffitt pleaded no contest to a first-degree misdemeanor count of attempted owning, possessing or selling equipment to use in fighting or baiting animals. As part of the deal, Proffitt agreed not to possess chickens.
Circuit Judge Dan L. Vaughn withheld a guilty finding when he sentenced Proffitt to one year of probation. He also sentenced Proffitt to pay $3,272 in restitution to the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County.
The local Humane Society spent more than $33,000 on 1,800 birds seized last February when members of the Indian River Sheriff's Office raided four sites in Fellsmere. Sheriff Roy Raymond said the raid was part of an effort to disable "the largest cockfighting network in the state."
The birds' owners were charged under the Florida Animal Fighting and Baiting Law, adopted in 2003, which made it a felony to possess, breed, train or sell birds for fighting even if they fight out of state. Most of the chickens were euthanized because of disease or temperament.
Proffitt was at a co- defendant's home on 103rd Street during the raid and told deputies he owned the roosters on the property, according to his arrest warrant. He said he was raising the roosters to be taken out of state to be sold for fighting or breeding, according to the warrant. | Source: TCPalm - Feb 7, 2005
Update posted on Feb 11, 2005 - 5:14AM |
On Thursday (Oct 7, 2004), Circuit Judge Dan L. Vaughn sentenced Raulerson to three years of probation on two felony counts of fighting or baiting animals and one count of cruelty to animals. As a condition of his probation, Raulerson must repay both agencies.
"I apologize to the court," said Raulerson, who was joined by his daughter in the courtroom Thursday morning.
Raulerson, 52, of Palm Bay, entered a no-contest plea to the three charges in July after prosecutors agreed to limit his punishment. The maximum penalty on each charge is five years.
Raulerson relinquished ownership of 800 birds to the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County in March. The birds were unsuitable as companions or for food and were euthanized. | Source: TCPalm.Com - Oct 8, 2004
Update posted on Oct 20, 2004 - 2:31AM |
Defendants Antonio Lopez, 43; his son Antonio Enrique Lopez Jr., 21; Willis Lamar Wilson, 60; Danny N. Proffitt, 33, and Charles "Buck" Raulerson, 51, were supposed to have their arraignments Friday, but they were postponed until April 28 before 19th District Circuit Judge Dan L. Vaughn. The five men were charged with fighting or baiting animals, cruelty to animals or possession of cockfighting paraphernalia.
During the past three weeks, trained technicians have been at a Fellsmere ranch where many of the animals remained under the care of defendant Raulerson. An Indian River County sheriff's deputy has been overseeing the site.
Read more: Update posted on Apr 5, 2004 - 4:48AM |
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