A veterinary technician was sentenced Monday in a federal court in Virginia for dogfighting and the promotion of animal fighting ventures, the DOJ said.
Carlos Warren, 49, of Rapidan, Virginia, will serve “20 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiring to fight dogs and promote dogfighting using interstate publications,” according to a statement from the DOJ. Conditions for his supervised release are that he would not own or care for any animals and would give up or not obtain any veterinary or animal care licenses, certifications, or other authorizations.
Warren started his dogfighting pursuit in his teenage years, publishing and distributing nationwide a magazine titled “The Connector,” centered on dogfighting competitions, interviews and advertisements, including advertisements of “the illegal sale of injectable steroids and other substances for dogs,” per the statement. (RELATED: Animal Shelter Rescues Nearly 40 Dogs From ‘Pretty Horrific Conditions’ In One Home)
#ICYMI Carlos Warren, a Veterinary Tech from Rapidan, VA, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for dogfighting and promoting animal fighting today. @WDVAnews https://t.co/75KR5UXcuX
— FBI Richmond (@FBIRichmond) July 31, 2023
Warren hosted dogfights on his Virginia property and attended other dogfights, stole or otherwise obtained veterinary medicines, and used both the medicines and his training as a veterinary technician “to treat dogs during fights up until they lost or refused to fight. When that happened, Warren executed dogs through brutal means including electrocution,” the statement noted. Animal fighting paraphernalia were seized from his house in March 2022 and Warren would now forfeit them, the DOJ said.
“The defendant’s certification and work as a veterinary technician, which he used to further these fights and promote the barbarous treatment of dogs, makes his crimes even more reprehensible,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“Dog fighting is savage and inhumane, and it will not be tolerated,” U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh for the Western District of Virginia said, pledging justice against individuals, especially professionals, engaged in the “breeding, training and cruel deaths suffered by innocent animals.”