BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A Jefferson County man has been ordered to pay more than $548,000 in restitution after federal authorities rescued 78 dogs from an illegal dog fighting operation, one of the largest such seizures in a federal case.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, Carlton Lenard Adams of Bessemer and Adger was sentenced last month to 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in January to four counts of possessing dogs for fighting purposes and two counts of possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
In addition to the 10-year prison sentence, a federal judge ordered Adams to pay $548,449 in restitution to cover the cost of caring for the 78 pit bull-type dogs rescued during the investigation.
Federal officials said the seizure marked the second-largest number of dogs rescued from a single defendant in any federal criminal case at the time.
According to court documents, Adams kept the dogs at three properties, two in Bessemer and one in Adger. Investigators found many of the animals bearing scars and other injuries consistent with dog fighting, while others were living in severely neglected conditions.
Authorities also recovered two pistols and a semi-automatic shotgun commonly known as a “Street Sweeper,” which is classified as a destructive device under federal law.
Investigators seized numerous items associated with dog fighting, including modified treadmills used to condition dogs, injectable veterinary steroids, syringes, suture materials, skin staplers, intravenous equipment, a homemade breeding stand, and a break stick used to separate fighting dogs.
The rescued dogs were placed into the care of a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Following a successful civil forfeiture action, the animals were not returned to Adams and instead underwent rehabilitation and evaluation for possible adoption.
“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. “These animals suffer before, during, and after the fights.”
U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. said Adams, a previously convicted violent felon, is now off the streets.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the FBI, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Rummage prosecuted the criminal case.