Seven men indicted in connection with Eastman dog fighting ring. Five plead not guilty

About two-and-a-half years after 63 pit-bulls were rescued from a large-scale dog fighting ring in Dodge County, seven men connected with it have been indicted in federal court.

“Contests of animal cruelty not only are illegal, but also are cesspools of associated criminal activity including gambling, drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession,” U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine for the Southern District of Georgia said in a Wednesday news release about the indictments. “We won’t tolerate it, and with our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, we are determined to eradicate this barbaric practice.”

In March of 2018, the dogs were seized during a midnight raid at a home on Rozar Goolsby Road outside Eastman, where the dog fights were alleged to have taken place, according to the news release.

Pleading not guilty

Wednesday, James “Pookie” Lampkin, who owned the property, pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act, 63 counts of possessing and training a dog for purposes of an animal fighting venture and one count of attending an animal fighting venture, according to court records.

He is free on a $25,000 bond pending trial.

Most of the charges are felonies carrying up to five years each in prison upon conviction. Attending a dog fight is a misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to one year in prison.

Benjamin Shinhoster III, 40, of Augusta, also pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act, transporting and delivering a dog for purposes of an animal fighting venture, sponsoring and exhibiting a dog in an animal fighting venture and attending an animal fighting venture.

He also is free on a $25,000 bond pending trial, according to court records.

Charged

Five other men were also charged in connection to the operation.

Deveon Hood, 33, of Tennille; Joe Ford, 32, of Elgin, South Carolina; Xavier Simmons, 34, and Andre Archer, 23, both of Sandersville, were each indicted on charges of conspiracy to violate the animal welfare act and attending an animal fighting venture.

The fifth man, Dwight McDuffie, 44, of Eastman, was indicted on a charge of attending an animal fighting venture.

Ford, Simmons and McDuffie also have pleaded not guilty and are free on bond. Hood and Archer are awaiting arraignment, with no bond set for them.

In 2018, authorities were conducting traffic stops after reports of a dog fight taking place in the Eastman area, according to the release.

The discovery of a bloodied dog inside one of the vehicles stopped by the Georgia State Patrol gave authorities what they needed to get a search warrant for Lampkin’s property.

All dogs adopted

During the raid, dogs were found staked outside with heavy chains and most without water or food. A dog fighting pit and training equipment were also found on site. The dogs were seized by authorities.

After being examined and cared for by veterinarians, the dogs were released to an animal rescue group that evaluated them for adoption. Meanwhile, federal authorities filed a successful civil forfeiture action for the dogs.

All of the dogs were adopted except for one that had cancer, according to the release.

This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 10:14 AM.