An Alabama man has been sentenced to 120 months in prison after pleading guilty in January to multiple felonies, including charges of dog fighting and illegal firearms.

Carlton Lenard Adams of Bessemer and Adger, Alabama received the sentence after pleading guilty to four counts of possessing dogs for fighting purposes and two counts of possessing firearms subsequent to a felony conviction, as well as a restitution of $548,449 for the costs of care of 78 pit bull-type dogs rescued in this investigation.

“This case demonstrates that the cruelty of dog fighting is not limited to the brutal injuries inflicted in the fighting pit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “These animals suffer before, during, and after the fights. We will continue to vigorously pursue Congress’s mandate to snuff out this illegal industry.”

“This prior convicted violent felon is now off our streets. We will show no mercy to individuals in this District like Carlton Adams that torture animals for entertainment purposes,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams, Jr. “The Department of Justice has prioritized a whole-of-government approach to prosecuting crimes against animals, and we stand ready with our law enforcement partners to swiftly bring the full force of justice to bear.”

Adams maintained a stock of 78 fighting dogs at three properties,  according to the court documents — two in Bessemer, Alabama, and one in Adger, Alabama. The dogs were recovered in living conditions of extreme neglect which resulted in some having serious injuries. The dogs were rescued and cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service.

“This case reflects the brutal reality of organized dog fighting operations and the appalling conditions these animals are forced to endure. It also exposes how dog fighting operations are often accompanied by broader criminal activity as evidenced by the presence of dangerous weapons such as the ones in the defendant’s possession,” said U.S. Department of Agriculture Inspector General John Walk. “USDA OIG will continue working aggressively with our federal, state, and local partners to investigate animal fighting crimes and protect both public safety and animal welfare. We thank our partners in this case that helped bring this defendant to justice.”

In addition to the dogs, Adams was also found to possess two pistols and a semi-automatic shotgun, known colloquially as a “Street Sweeper,” classified as a destructive device.

In addition to the dogs and guns, law enforcement also recovered tools and supplies used in the training and keeping of dogs used for fighting, including modified treadmills to hold dogs in place for conditioning, injectable veterinary steroids, suture materials and syringes, skin staplers, intravenous bags and lines, a homemade breeding stand, and a break stick device used to break the bite hold of a dog.

Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage for the Northern District of Alabama prosecuted this case.