Man Sentenced In Dog Fighting Ring Involving 2 NJ Men: Feds

A New Mexico man has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a multi-state dog fighting ring that involved two New Jersey men, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito of the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Jeffrey Bossert Clark of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division announced.

Robert Arellano, 65, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was previously convicted of one felony count of conspiracy to violate the animal fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, and two felony counts of selling, transporting, and delivering dogs intended for use in an animal fighting venture.

Arellano also pleaded guilty to three felony counts of possessing a dog intended for use in an animal fighting venture in a related federal case in New Mexico that was consolidated with his New Jersey case for sentencing. He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.

Justin Love, 38, of Sewell, and Robert A. Elliott Sr., 49, of Millville, were both also convicted following a three-week trial in October. Dajwan Ware, 45, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was also found guilty. Their sentencings are scheduled for May 29 and May 30.

Operation Grand Champion, an ongoing multi-state dog fighting investigation, found that Arellano sold and shipped two fighting dogs to Love and Anthony "Monte" Gaines, of Vineland, according to documents filed in the case and evidence presented at trial. They were shipped by air cargo in December 2014. One of the dogs was seriously injured in a test fight the following day, authorities said.

Gaines also transported a fighting dog named "Bubbles" to Ware in order to hide her from law enforcement after local authorities discovered Gaines's dog fighting yard, authorities said. Elliott housed a fighting dog named "Fancy" on behalf of Gaines and conspirator Frank Nichols, and possessed 12 fighting dogs of his own.

The phrase “Grand Champion” is used by dog fighters to refer to a dog with more than five dog fighting “victories.” To date, eleven defendants from five states have been convicted and sentenced to a total of 164 months in prison as part of Operation Grand Champion.

Additionally, 113 dogs have been rescued, and either surrendered or forfeited to the government.