Six men were indicted and appeared in federal court Monday in Providence on charges of violating the Animal Welfare Act in connection to a cockfighting operation.
The indictment alleges that Miguel Delgado hosted a series of cockfights at his Providence home on March 6, 2022. He also faces charges for sponsoring and exhibiting roosters, purchasing and transporting “gaffs” (sharp instruments used in cockfights), and illegally possessing roosters for fighting purposes.
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Two other Rhode Island residents, Onill Vasquez Lozada and Antonio Ledee Rivera, were charged with similar offenses related to the March 2022 event and an earlier one at Delgado’s home.
Three Massachusetts residents, Germidez Kingsley Jamie, Jose Rivera, and Luis Castillo, were also charged with sponsoring and exhibiting roosters at the March 2022 event. Jamie and Jose Rivera face an additional charge for buying and transporting gaffs.
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If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The case was investigated by multiple federal and state agencies, highlighting the collaborative effort to combat animal cruelty.
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