BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Carlton Lenard Adams, of Bessemer and Adger, Alabama, was sentenced last month to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty in January to four counts of possessing dogs for fighting purposes and two counts of possessing firearms subsequent to a felony conviction. In addition to the prison sentence, the court on Friday, June 26, imposed a restitution of $548,449 for the costs of care of 78 pit bull-type dogs rescued in this investigation. At time of rescue, 78 dogs was the second-greatest number rescued from a single defendant in any federal case.
“This case demonstrates that the cruelty of dog fighting is not limited to the brutal injuries inflicted in the fighting pit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “These animals suffer before, during and after the fights. We will continue to vigorously pursue Congress’s mandate to snuff out this illegal industry.”
“This prior convicted violent felon is now off our streets. We will show no mercy to individuals in this District like Carlton Adams that torture animals for entertainment purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams, Jr. “The Department of Justice has prioritized a whole-of-government approach to prosecuting crimes against animals, and we stand ready with our law enforcement partners to swiftly bring the full force of justice to bear.”
“This case reflects the brutal reality of organized dog fighting operations and the appalling conditions these animals are forced to endure. It also exposes how dog fighting operations are often accompanied by broader criminal activity as evidenced by the presence of dangerous weapons such as the ones in the defendant’s possession,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk. “USDA OIG will continue working aggressively with our federal, state and local partners to investigate animal fighting crimes and protect both public safety and animal welfare. We thank our partners in this case that helped bring this defendant to justice.”
According to court documents, Adams maintained a stock of 78 fighting dogs at three properties — two in Bessemer, Alabama, and one in Adger, Alabama. When they were rescued, some of the dogs bore scars and other injuries, and some were living in conditions of extreme neglect. Adams was also found to possess two pistols and a semiautomatic shotgun, known colloquially as a “Street Sweeper.” Under federal law, a Street Sweeper is considered a destructive device.
In addition to the dogs, guns and destructive device, law enforcement personnel also recovered from Adam’s residences tools and supplies used in the training and keeping of dogs used for fighting. These items included modified treadmills to hold dogs in place for conditioning, injectable veterinary steroids, suture materials and syringes, skin staplers, intravenous bags and lines, a homemade breeding stand and a break stick device used to break the bite hold of a dog.
The dogs were rescued and cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Following a separate, successful civil forfeiture action brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, the dogs did not have to be returned to Adams. They were instead rehabilitated and evaluated for possible adoption.
Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight dogs in a venture that affects interstate commerce, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase or receive dogs for fighting purposes.
The USDA OIG, FBI and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage for the Northern District of Alabama prosecuted the case. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin Shutt for the Northern District of Alabama handled the civil forfeiture case for the dogs.
