Eleven people were charged in a 136-count federal indictment including alleged violations of drug conspiracy and dog fighting

Macon, GA – Peter D. Leary, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, said:

“Dog fighting is brutal and illegal; it is particularly troubling when combined with drug trafficking. We will investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in these criminal acts and seek justice for all of their victims. I thank our law enforcement partners for their hard work on this significant investigation.”

According to the court documents, the defendants include: Jarvis Lockett, 40, of Warner Robins, Georgia; Derrick Owens, 37, of Woodland, Georgia; Christopher Raines, 50, of Talbotton, Georgia; Armard Davis, 41, of Fort Valley, Georgia; Jason Carter, 38, of Phoenix City, Alabama; Shaquille Bentley, 26, of Roberta, Georgia; Bryanna Holmes, 24, of Fort Valley, Georgia; Vernon Vegas, 49, of Suwanee, Georgia; Lekey Davis, 45, of Talbotton, Georgia, Kathy Ann Whitfield, 61, of Columbus, Georgia; and Rodrick Walton, 40, of Shiloh, Georgia.

The defendants are separately charged with possession of dogs for purposes of having the dogs participate in dog fights as follows: Lockett – 15 counts; Raines – 40 counts; Owens – 44 counts, Walton – 18 counts; Armard Davis – 9 counts.

An indictment is a set of allegations based upon a finding of probable cause by a grand jury. A defendant is presumed innocent until convicted.