NORTH CAROLINA
A federal grand jury indicted Brexton Redell Lloyd, 54, of Eagle Springs, for allegedly possessing and training dogs for fighting, officials announced Thursday.
Lloyd is charged with one count of conspiracy and thirteen counts of violating the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, officials said.
The charges returned today pertain to pit bull-type dogs allegedly kept by Lloyd at his residence in Eagle Springs. The dogs were seized by federal authorities in a search warrant executed in March 2017.
This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, a coordinated effort across numerous federal judicial districts to combat organized dog fighting.
The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog-fighting “victories.”
To date, approximately one hundred dogs have been rescued as part of Operation Grand Champion, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government.
The federal Animal Welfare Act makes it a felony punishable by up to five years in prison to knowingly sell, buy, possess, train, transport, deliver, or receive any animal, including dogs, for purposes of having the animal participate in an animal fighting venture, according to officials.
The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
If convicted, Lloyd is facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 for each count.
The investigation is ongoing, authorities said.