COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division says 11 people were arrested on charges related to dogfighting during a two-day operation last week.
SLED Chief Mark Keel said his agents served 10 search warrants in Dillon and Marion Counties over two days last Wednesday.
“During the saerches, SLED arrested 11 people who face charges of criminal conspiracy and ill treatment of animals as well as several offenses related to drugs and guns found at the scene,” Keel said.
Affidavits released by the agency list the following arrests and charges:
- Robert Kendale Adams, 41, charged with animal fighting, criminal conspiracy, ill treatment of animals, trafficking marijuana, and possession of less than 1 gram of Meth (first offense).
- Gavin Mandell Miles, 44, charged with unlawfully placing a child at risk, animal fighting, ill treatment of animals, possession of cocaine base (second offense), possession of a Schedule II controlled substance (first offense), possession of a controlled substance (first offense), and criminal conspiracy.
- James Maurice Bethea, 50, charged with criminal conspiracy, ill treatment of animals, and animal fighting.
- Jonathon Ja’Teil Lester, 22, charged with 3 counts of animal fighting, and 3 counts of ill treatment of animals.
- Larry Darnel Mack, Jr., 49, charged with animal fighting and Ill Treatment of Animals.
- Christopher Terrell Jordan, 32, charged with animal fighting, ill treatment of animals, criminal conspiracy, possession of a firearm by a person convicted of certain crimes (first offense), possession of a weapon during a violent crime, possession of crack cocaine, possession of ketamine, possession of marijuana, possession of oxycodone, possession of alprazolam, possession of a stolen pistol, trafficking cocaine, trafficking fentanyl, and trafficking ecstasy.
- Anthony Dante Gause, 44, charged with criminal conspiracy, animal fighting, and ill treatment of animals.
- Wade Rodeon Shipman, 61, charged with criminal conspiracy.
- Sammy Junior McCormick, 45, charged with animal fighting and ill treatment of animals.
- Blake Alexander Rogers, 29, charged with animal fighting and ill treatment of animals.
- Tyquan Tymore Rogers, 24, charged with criminal conspiracy.
In addition to the arrests, agents rescued 160 dogs. They also seized roughly 17 pounds of marijuana, one kilo of cocaine, 11 grams of crack cocaine, two grams of ketamine, 2,266 ecstasy pills and 990 fentanyl pills.
Fifty-five weapons were also recovered, he said.
“We’re investigating dogfighting in every corner of the state of South Carolina right now. Dogfighting is inhumane and it’s illegal,” Keel said. “This is not just animal cruelty. It’s organized criminal activity that, oftentimes, is related to other violent crimes and leads to other violent crimes as well.”
“This is an unspeakable thing that’s happening in our state,” Gov. Henry McMaster said. He said he learned about dogfighting when he served as attorney general and held up weighted collars and heavy chains designed to strengthen dogs for fighting.
Two dogs are placed into a ring or “pit,” and “usually only one gets out,” he said, adding that pit bulls are usually used in dogfighting.
“And they hold them at each side and then they turn them loose and boy, they go at it,” he said, adding that it’s not the kind of dogfight you might see if you were walking your dog in a neighborhood or dog park. “It is nothing like that. It is vicious. These pit bulls are trained to bite, to rip, cut, and they will grab hold.”
Unless the dogs are taught to be mean, McMaster said they’ll be just like every other dog. But these dogs are trained to fight to the death.
“I’ve seen the videos. It’ll make you cry. It’ll make you mad,” he said.
The fight ends, he says, with blood all over the plywood surrounding the pit and “parts of animals all over that carpet.”
He said dogfighters will also steal people’s pets to use as “bait dogs.”
“Your dog may be a Collie, might be a Cocker Spaniel, might be a Lab, might be anything. They’ll take that dog and duct tape his mouth shut so he cannot fight, and put him in the pit with this animal and let the trained pit bull that’s made to fight kill that dog,” McMaster said. “It is as horrible as anything you will ever see, and it is violent. So we’ve got to do something about it.”
Dogfighting is a felony in South Carolina, SLED’s website states. Keel said a bill prefiled in the South Carolina House would increase existing penalties.
McMaster has mentioned efforts to stop illegal animal fighting in the state in his past two State of the State Addresses, calling it “one of the cruelest criminal activities in our society.”
McMaster’s 2025 executive budget sought additional funding for SLED to end the “unforgivable savagery.”
The state hired a dedicated SLED agent in September of 2022 to combat animal fighting.
That same month, more than 20 people were charged in what was believed to be “the biggest takedowns of a dogfighting operation in South Carolina history,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The joint operation resulted in warrants issued in Richland, Orangeburg, Clarendon, Lee, Sumter, and York Counties and the rescue of 305 dogs, 275 of which were used in the fighting, officials said.
In last year’s State of the State Address, McMaster said his executive budget recommended $566,000 to hire additional SLED agents dedicated to animal fighting.
Keel said anyone who hears about dogfighting or suspects it may be going on should contact SLED’s tip line at 866-472-8477.
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