South Jersey Man Arrested, Charged As Part Of Dog Fighting Ring: U.S. Attorney

A South Jersey man has been arrested in connection with a dog fighting ring, authorities said on Wednesday.

Robert A. Elliott, Sr., 47, of Millville, New Jersey, was charged by complaint with two counts of possessing pit bull-type dogs for dog fighting ventures in New Jersey and elsewhere, according to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman and Assistant Attorney General John Cruden, DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at Elliot’s house on June 1, after Frank Nichols was charged by complaint with violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act pertaining to dog fighting.

Elliot and Nichols lived together at the multi-acre property. Another defendant, Robert Elliott, also lived at the residence, police said.

During the search, law enforcement officers say they seized 13 live pit bull-type dogs, seven of which they allege were kept on heavy chains in a wooded area behind the house.

“The dogs were spaced so that they could not reach one another,” Fishman said. “Two additional dogs were housed individually in pens in the wooded area near the chained dogs. Law enforcement officers found three more dogs in shipping crates in the unfinished basement. One of the 13 dogs, who appeared ill, was found in a crate in a room on the first floor.”

Police say several of the dogs had scars and showed other signs of injury, and all of the dogs were suffering from untreated veterinary conditions, according to authorities.

Law enforcement officers allege they also found other indications that the dogs were used in dog-fighting ventures, such as:

• Break sticks, which are used to pry open a dog’s mouth in order to release a hold that the dog has on another dog;
• A stand often called a “rape rack” (or “breeder stand” as referred to by defendant Robert Elliott) designed to hold a female dog off the ground and immobilize her while a male dog mounts her. The device is used where the female dog is too aggressive to mate otherwise;
• A box containing veterinary medications, a skin stapler, numerous needles and syringes, catheters, IV bags and tubing, sutures, and suture removing tools;
• Testosterone boosting supplements, which are often used by dog fighters to increase muscle mass and aggression of dogs before a fight; and
• Dog pedigrees and printouts of dogs from dogfighting registries, including pedigrees related to the pit bull-type dogs found at his residence.

Police say Elliott claimed ownership of several of the dog fighting paraphernalia found in his home, and indicated that he and his family owned 10 of the 13 pit bull-type dogs found at his residence.

The counts of possession related to animal fighting each carry a maximum potential penalty of up to five years in prison.

This case is part of Operation Grand Champion, an investigation into organized dog fighting conducted by numerous federal judicial districts. The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog-fighting “victories.”