GREENSBORO — A guilty plea on dog fighting and conspiracy charges was entered in federal court by a 54-year-old from Moore County on Thursday.
Brexton Redell Lloyd, of Eagle Springs, pleaded to felony conspiracy and two felony counts of possession and training a dog intended for use in an animal fighting venture, contrary to the animal fighting provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Each count has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Court documents say Lloyd, Justin “Jay” Love and others participated in a dog fighting conspiracy across multiple states, said a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Middle District of North Carolina office. The two attempted to set up a dog fight against an unknown opponent in October 2015. Their breeding and training activities are also noted in the documents.
Agents took 13 pit bull-type dogs from Lloyd’s residence, 10 of which were outdoors wearing thick collars. Water bowls were frozen, two of the four adult dogs had scars consistent with fighting and a third adult had four fractured teeth, the release said.
Also taken were a spring pole, dog harness, hanging scale, veterinary supplies, intravenous fluids and administration sets, injectable and other antibiotics, syringes, blood clotting medications and a skin stapler. The release said all the items are related to training dogs for fighting purposes.
The Moore County Sheriff’s Office and the Highway Patrol assisted the investigation by the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the FBI.