Louisiana Man Faces up to 35 Years in Prison if Convicted After Being Indicted for Dog Fighting Ventures

Louisiana – On July 1, 2022, a federal grand jury in New Orleans, Louisiana, returned an indictment charging a Louisiana man with seven counts of Possession of Animals in an Animal Fighting Venture.

According to court documents, David Guidry III, 47, possessed and received dogs with the intention of using them in animal fighting ventures.

On or around October 24, 2017, a federal law enforcement team comprised of agents from the Department of Agriculture, the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, and other agencies executed a search warrant at Guidry’s home. The physical evidence gathered during the search, as well as court-authorized wiretaps, proved that Guidry violated the federal anti-animal-fighting statute.

Guidry faces up to five years in prison for each count of conviction if convicted. A federal district judge will impose a sentence based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Matthew D. Evans of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih of the Eastern District of Louisiana.

An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.