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Two area men were sentenced Tuesday in a multi-state crackdown on illegal dog fighting.
The men, 38-year-old Michael Morgan of Hannibal and 56-year-old Robert Hackman of Foley, each were ordered to serve one year and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Both pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of conspiracy to commit federal offenses and one felony count of prohibitions against animal fighting ventures.
The incidents happened between January 2008 and June 2009.
The two men and three other Missouri suspects, Teddy Kiriakidis of Leasburg, Ronald Creach of Leslie and Jack Ruppel of Eldon, were indicted in July.
Kiriakidis and Creach each were sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Kiriakidis also was fined $2,000. Ruppel awaits sentencing.
All together, 26 people in seven states were charged and more than 500 dogs were seized following federal raids.
Authorities say Morgan, who was nicknamed "Missouri Mike" in the world of animal fighting, and Hackman operated breeding operations that supplied pit bulls for fights.
Each defendant admitted that they routinely abandoned, destroyed or disposed of pit bulls that lost competitions, did not perform aggressively enough, or that became injured, wounded, or disabled as a result of participating in fighting ventures.
In a separate legal proceeding, a federal court ordered that ownership of the dogs that were seized be transferred to the Humane Society of Missouri.
Two area men were sentenced Tuesday in a multi-state crackdown on illegal dog fighting.
The men, 38-year-old Michael Morgan of Hannibal and 56-year-old Robert Hackman of Foley, each were ordered to serve one year and one day in prison, followed by two years of supervised release.
Both pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of conspiracy to commit federal offenses and one felony count of prohibitions against animal fighting ventures.
The incidents happened between January 2008 and June 2009.
The two men and three other Missouri suspects, Teddy Kiriakidis of Leasburg, Ronald Creach of Leslie and Jack Ruppel of Eldon, were indicted in July.
Kiriakidis and Creach each were sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Kiriakidis also was fined $2,000. Ruppel awaits sentencing.
All together, 26 people in seven states were charged and more than 500 dogs were seized following federal raids.
Authorities say Morgan, who was nicknamed "Missouri Mike" in the world of animal fighting, and Hackman operated breeding operations that supplied pit bulls for fights.
Each defendant admitted that they routinely abandoned, destroyed or disposed of pit bulls that lost competitions, did not perform aggressively enough, or that became injured, wounded, or disabled as a result of participating in fighting ventures.
In a separate legal proceeding, a federal court ordered that ownership of the dogs that were seized be transferred to the Humane Society of Missouri.
