Dog-fighting
Jeannette, PA (US)Incident Date: Monday, Oct 21, 2002
County: Westmoreland
Charges: Felony CTA
Disposition: Convicted
Case Images: 2 files available
Defendants/Suspects:
» Dale Shaw
» Thomas L. Ackerman
» Harry Maurice Ackerman, Jr
» Richard L. Henderson
» Robert Carl Cooper
» Christopher Lee Bryce
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
A Jeannette man and five others were arrested in connection with a western Pennsylvania dog-fighting ring in which dogs were electrocuted if they lost or were injured in matches on which wagers ran as high as $50,000.
The multicounty ring required promoters, trainers, breeders and referees, according to the state police Organized Crime Unit. Some involved in the ring manufactured and sold dog training and conditioning equipment, and others supplied steroids and other performance-enhancement drugs that would increase the animals' muscle mass.
The ring arranged fights between pit bulls, which were matched against each other by weight and sex, in basements and warehouses for at least five years, investigators said. Wagers on a match ranged from $100 to $50,000.
State Police Lt. George L. Bivens said all types of people bet on and watched the matches. "As far as the types of people, it's a cross section," Bivens said. "It really crosses socioeconomic lines."
The dogs are listed as evidence and are not yet available for adoption.
The arrests were made yesterday in Westmoreland, Allegheny and Bedford counties. Charged were Dale Shaw, 46, of 217 Chestnut St., Jeannette; Thomas L. Ackerman, 26, and Harry Maurice Ackerman Jr., 30, both of 2005 Lamont Ave., McKeesport; Christopher Lee Bryce, 2009 Baldwin Ave., McKeesport; Richard L. Henderson, 632 S. Julian St., Bedford; and Robert Carl Cooper,163 Springwood Drive, Verona. All were arraigned by District Justice Thomas S. Brletic of McKeesport and face preliminary hearings at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Shaw was charged with one count of animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, after police searched his home Oct. 2. Police seized nine pit bulls and two "treadmills" used in the training of dogs. Shaw is free on $5,000 unsecured bond.
Police also searched the home of the Ackermans, who are brothers, on Oct. 2. Both were charged after an undercover investigation revealed their extensive involvement in the ring, investigators said.
On Jan. 14, Trooper Timothy Knapp and a confidential informant went to the brothers' home, where Thomas Ackerman showed them around. The trooper and informant saw several pit bulls, and Thomas Ackerman said he had staged a fight between two of them. Ackerman used a "drill-shocking device" he had gotten from Henderson to euthanize the dog that lost, according to an affidavit.
Bivens said the device had two alligator clips, spring-loaded fastening devices used to make temporary electrical connections. One was attached to the dog's lip and the other to its genitals before the electric shock was given, killing the animal in seconds. Senior Deputy Attorney General Donna McClelland said Henderson invented the device.
Knapp and the informant also bought three ounces of marijuana from Thomas Ackerman that day.
In an Oct. 2 raid of the Ackermans' home, police found nine pit bulls, a dogfighting pit, several treadmills, the shocking device, and documents relating to dogfighting.
Harry Ackerman Jr. was charged with one count of cruelty to animals and one count of criminal conspiracy. He is in Allegheny County Prison after failing to post $5,000 straight bond.
Thomas Ackerman was charged with six counts of cruelty to animals, two counts of criminal conspiracy and one count of delivery of a controlled substance. He also is in Allegheny County Prison in lieu of bond set at $25,000 straight cash.
Knapp met Henderson through the confidential informant at Henderson's business, Bedford Radiator, where Knapp noticed two pit bulls. Henderson took Knapp to a property in the woods where dogs were trained and sold Knapp a small vial of steroids for $400.
In a second meeting, Henderson again sold steroids to Knapp. Henderson also agreed to make a shocking device for Knapp, according to an affidavit.
In all, Knapp purchased more than $2,000 in dog-fighting training equipment from Henderson, who was charged with six counts of cruelty to animals, one count of violation of the Pharmacy Act, two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, one count of possession of a controlled substance, and one count of criminal conspiracy. He is in jail on $40,000 straight bond.
In a search of Bryce's home, police found marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Police received information about Bryce from another confidential informant, who said they had watched a dog fight at Bryce's home. After the fight, Bryce and Thomas Ackerman killed the losing dog and buried it in Bryce's yard. On Oct. 4, police exhumed the carcass of a female pit bull.
Bryce was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals, one count of delivery of a controlled substance, one count of possession of drug paraphernalia, and two counts of criminal conspiracy. He is in jail on $10,000 straight bond.
Cooper, who owns Cooper's Pet Supplies on 2810 Robinson Blvd., Penn Hills, was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and two counts of violation of the Pharmacy Act. He is free on $10,000 unsecured bond.
A confidential informant told Knapp that Cooper held money for dog fights and sold a tapeworm medication for dogs that is legally available only through veterinarians.
Cooper would hold money for people betting on the fights. Afterward, the winner would pick up the money from Cooper.
Knapp and the confidential informant went to the store in November 2001 and gave Cooper money to hold for a fight. A month later, the two picked up the money.
In October 2001 and May, Knapp bought the tapeworm medication from Cooper. This isn't Shaw's first run-in with the law. He was arrested April 11 by Jeannette police for an incident that occurred outside his home. Police went there at about 4:30 a.m. that day after they heard reports of a man screaming. After police found Shaw outside his home causing the disturbance, they ordered him to stop.
Shaw went inside but returned shortly to his porch with a pit bull. After police told Shaw to go back inside with the dog, he made several threats and once tried to lift the dog over the porch bannister to "sic" the dog on police.
Shaw also ripped off his shirt and started kissing his biceps before making more lewd threats of physical violence against them. Police eventually used pepper spray to take him into custody. Shaw also was charged by Jeannette police with fighting on Oct. 21.
Case UpdatesFive men pleaded guilty to charges. The men, including a pet store owner, were arrested in November 2002 for arranging fights between pit bulls in basements and warehouses over at least a five-year period. The fights had purses of up to $50,000.
According to arrest warrants, members of the ring also trained dogs to fight and had organized and promoted fights in Western and Central Pennsylvania since May 1997.
Police seized 21 pit bulls, guns, steroids, training equipment, underground dogfighting magazines and a photo album full of fighting dogs with names such as "Crazy" and "Rampage."
Brothers Harry Ackerman Jr., 32, and Thomas Ackerman, 28, both of McKeesport; Richard Henderson, 50, of Bedford; Robert Cooper, 49, of Verona; and Christopher Bryce, 29, of McKeesport, pleaded guilty last week to charges ranging from animal cruelty to attempting to buy illegal drugs. | Source: The Post-Gazette - April 25, 2004
Update posted on Jan 6, 2005 - 3:43AM |
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