A Waterloo man faces charges after police broke up a dog fighting event, on the afternoon of April 4. A caller led police to a dog fight in the area of East Fourth and Lester Streets. Police arrested Walter Hoskins the fourth, for dog fighting, and took his injured pit bull.� No further information at this time. Case UpdatesJudge Stigler imposed a 100-year sentence and ran prison time for the other convictions --- felony dog fighting, drug tax stamp violation and four probation violations --- concurrent. Hoskins has to serve at least one third --- about 33 years --- of the drug charge as a mandatory minimum.
Convicted of possession of crack cocaine with intent to deliver and dog fighting, Walter Hoskins IV, 20, asked the court Monday not to send him to prison but to allow him to go to schools and churches to do his part for the community.
"I've been shot, I've been to jail. I don't want to go to prison," said Hoskins, who took a bullet in the arm in 2001 when he was 15.
He wants to start a program called Make A Difference --- MAD --- to help youth.
While repeatedly maintaining his innocence, Hoskins told Judge George Stigler he also said he wanted to join the military to get his life on track.
Stigler said Hoskins's plea was compelling and might have been convincing if it wasn't for the fact these were his fifth, sixth and seventh convictions for drug and other offenses.
"You've got a proven history," Stigler said. "Enough is enough."
The judge said earlier brushes with the law hadn't gotten the attention of Hoskins, whom he said was injecting poison into the community to make a profit without caring about the harm he was spreading.
"You simply see this as a business," Stigler said.
The most serious charge, possession of more than 50 grams of crack with intent to deliver, garnered a maximum of 100 years in prison when considering sentencing enhancements because of prior convictions.
While Hoskins was on probation for earlier cases, police found him with his dog, "Fifty," when they responded to a call about a dog fight near a park in April 2006. Fifty had injuries consistent with illegal dog fighting, and Hoskins was arrested.
Then, while he was awaiting trial for the dog fighting charge, police were sent to a fireworks complaint near a home on Adams Street where he was living. They allegedly found half a pound of crack with a street value of about $40,000 --- and other items, authorities said.
Hoskins was convicted of the drug charges at trial and pleaded to dog fighting last month.
Fifty, who was home quarantined twice in 2005 after biting people, was put to sleep in July after being declared a dangerous animal. | Source: WCFcourier - April 2, 2007
Update posted on Apr 2, 2007 - 11:29PM |
Walter Hoskins IV, 20, of Waterloo entered a guilty plea Thursday in Black Hawk County District Court.
As part of a plea agreement, the sentence will run concurrent with a sentence for unrelated drug charges. He was convicted of crack cocaine and marijuana-related charges earlier this month.
He will be sentenced next Friday.
The dog fighting arrest stems from an April incident where police were called to Gates Park in Waterloo. They saw Hoskins running into a wooded area and gave chase. He was later found with his dog, Fifty, nearby. The dog had injuries to his head and face consistent with dog fighting, police said.
Fifty was euthanized in July after he was declared to be a dangerous animal. The dog had bit people twice in 2005 and had escaped from his kennel at the Humane Society and injured another dog. | Source: Gazette Online - March 24, 2007
Update posted on Mar 24, 2007 - 4:50PM |
| Walter Hoskins IV, will appear in court next on March 13, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. to face animal cruelty and dog-fighting charges. The charges stem from his April 4, 2006 arrest when police allegedly broke up a dog fighting event. | Source: Case # FE138711
Update posted on Feb 16, 2007 - 8:09PM |
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