Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office, Deputy Honored by Humane Society

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The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Richard Samuels recently received the Humane Society’s Humane Law Enforcement Award for their work in breaking up a cockfighting ring.

Samuels was part of a task force that conducted a year-long investigation, dubbed “Big Blue,” of the criminal ring, which was centered in Wise County, Virginia, and in Kentucky, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

The investigation was begun in Spotsylvania by Samuels, an animal control deputy, Sheriff Roger L. Harris said in the statement. The breadth of the ring became apparent, and Spotsylvania police began a task force supported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Virginia Attorney General’s Office and numerous federal, state and Local law enforcement agencies.

The investigation culminated last May with several arrests, the statement added. The operators of the ring pleaded guilty to several crimes, including conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling enterprise, illegally conducting cockfights and drug distribution. The operators were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to 18 months and forfeited cash and assets connected to the ring.

Humane Law Enforcement Awards are presented annually to authorities who have taken an exemplary stand against illegal animal cruelty and fighting, the statement said.

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