11 Accused Of Animal Abuse At PA Turkey Farms: Police

HARRISBURG, PA — Nearly a dozen people are accused of inhumane treatment of animals after state police said they stomped, kicked and beat turkeys at farms located throughout central and southeastern Pennsylvania.

According to state police, 11 people were charged with six felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, 76 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty, and 57 other related offenses following an investigation that started in August 2021.

Police said the defendants were employed at Plainville Farms in Chester, Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton, Perry, and Union counties, and tasked with catching and crating turkeys for shipment.

The investigation began when a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals employee witnessed the workers abusing turkeys and filed a complaint, police said.

Those charged include:

• Bryce P. Washington, 26, McSherrystown
• Miguel Turi Cantellano, 65, McSherrystown
• Juan Turi Baeza, 37, McSherrystown
• Jason K. Turner, 22, Hanover
• Bryiant O. Perez-Paez, 40, Hanover
• Francisco M. Lebron-Cruz, 39, Thomasville
• Jose E. Turi Baeza, 29, New Oxford
• Kevin L. Wagaman, 49, Fayetteville
• Mitchell E. Buckley, 23, Aspers
• Christopher S. McArdle, 37, Gettysburg
• Joseph Nunez Rosario, 41, York

One defendant was not identified by police.

According to Plainville Farms CEO Matt Goodson, the men are no longer employed by the company.

“For 100 years, Plainville Farms has been committed to setting the gold standard in animal welfare. At all times, Plainville management fully cooperated in this investigation and supported the authorities during this process," Goodsen said in a statement provided to Patch. "Plainville has zero tolerance for anything like the alleged actions of these former employees.

Goodson also said the company has launched an internal investigation and implemented a number of measures to ensure animal welfare, including using stationary and body cameras during the catching process and bringing in a third-party party animal welfare specialist to monitor video footage and join catching crews in the field.

"We believe that it’s important for incidents like this to come to light in order to challenge our industry to do better," Goodson said. "We are grateful to the State of Pennsylvania and its law enforcement for joining us in taking action and holding the involved individuals accountable for their actions"