Virginia man pleads guilty for coordinating dog fights, sharing videos about dogfighting
A Virginia man has pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges that go back to a private group where users would discuss training, exchange videos about dogfighting and coordinate dog fights.
According to court documents, from at least May 2015 through August 2020, Tarry Jeron "TJ" Wilson, 38, and other conspirators from Virginia, D.C., and Maryland would use this group, generally referred to as "the DMV Board" or "the Board."
Members of the DMV Board also used the messaging app to compare methods of killing dogs that lost fights, as well as to circulate media reports about conspirators who had been caught by law enforcement and discuss methods to minimize the likelihood that they would be caught themselves.
According to court documents, Wilson, who used the kennel name "City Limits," regularly used the DMV Board to solicit fights for his dogs, and to notify his fellow dogfighters of the results of the fights that were arranged.
In January 2019, Wilson entered his dog "City Limits Lil Bella" in a fight in Delaware. The fight lasted one hour and 12 minutes, before his dog lost the fight. Wilson later described on the DMV Board how, when his attempt to electrocute the dog failed, he simply shot her.
In June 2020, Wilson attended five dogfights, including two involving his own dogs. Wilson’s dog, "Thor," won the first fight when the opposing dog quit 16 minutes into the fight. Wilson’s dog, "Red Alert," won the last fight after 32 minutes when the opposing dog stopped moving.
Virginia, Maryland men plead guilty for dogfighting conspiracy
A Virginia man and a Maryland man have both pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a dogfighting conspiracy that has allegedly been around for more than 20 years, according to the Department of Justice.
In August 2020, Wilson possessed eight pit-bull type dogs at his Warsaw residence, including four that bore scarring patterns that indicated previous involvement in dogfighting.
According to court documents, Wilson warned members of the DMV Board to be sure to confirm the death of the dogs that they try to kill upon losing a fight. He explained that one time, he and a co-conspirator thought that their dog had died in a fight, only to find that the dog returned to life.
Further, Wilson provided on the DMV Board instructions on how to kill a losing dog and offered to drive to another conspirator’s house to hang the dog from a tree himself. Wilson told his fellow DMV Board members that he "loved" killing losing dogs.
According to court documents, in response to a news article posted to the DMV Board regarding an individual charged with running a dogfighting operation, Wilson warned: "People like dogs. They don’t like what we doing to them, though, I bet you that."
In August 2022, Wilson and six others were indicted for a dogfighting conspiracy involving the DMV Board. Five of those six have previously pleaded guilty and been sentenced for dogfighting offenses.
Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.