TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Eight Florida residents have been charged with running a dog fighting operation involving about 100 dogs.
The U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday that a federal grand jury indicted them on 83 counts. The operation had been run since 2014 in Gadsden County, located just west of the state's capital.
The indictment said the defendants bred and sold "pit bull-like" dogs and trained them to fight. They also had equipment to stage fights around the county.
Prosecutors said in a news release that most of the recovered dogs were placed with dog adoption organizations. The remains of one dog were found at a site where dog fights were taking place.
Each charge carries a penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.
