MA Man Sentenced In Connection With Rhode Island Cockfighting Operation: Feds

A Massachusetts man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a cockfighting operation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Jose Rivera, 70, was sentenced to two years of probation, a $200 fine and a $100 special assessment, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a media release.

Rivera pleaded guilty in April to violating the Animal Welfare Act "in connection with his role in a 2022 cockfighting operation," the release said.

"As part of his plea, Rivera admitted that he traveled from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to participate in cockfights and that he brought with him gaffs or other sharp instruments that he had purchased and which were designed or intended to be attached to the leg of a rooster in a fight against another rooster," according to the release. "Rivera further admitted that he was aware that the cockfights he traveled to participate in were for sport, wagering, and entertainment."

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