| Subject: Teamer gets 15 years, WTF? |
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Larry
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Date Posted: 19:39:19 08/01/08 Fri
August 1, 2008
Milton man sentenced in dog fighting ring
A judge sentenced a Milton man to 15 years in state prison Friday after a jury found him guilty of raising pit bulls used in illegal dog fights.
The state charged Raymond Eugene Teamer, 42, with 35 counts of training or baiting animals for fighting and two counts of processing or selling dog fighting equipment. The charges are all third-degree felonies.
Assistant State Attorney John Simon said that on Nov. 5, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s investigators found 30 dogs and five puppies on Teamer’s Trammel Drive home after a seven-month investigation.
Many of the dogs were tethered using thick chains. One such chain that weighed 22 pounds became a key piece of evidence during the first day of the trial.
Simon explained to the jury that the chains are placed on smaller dogs to help build up their strength.
In addition to the dogs and chains, Simon said investigators uncovered a cache of medicine and equipment used to treat dogs that are severely wounded in matches that are usually fought until one dog dies.
Investigators also found a 10-page document in Teamer’s house that detailed how to train and condition dogs for fighting.
Many of the dogs found at Teamer’s property had scars on their noses and faces that one expert testified were indicators that the dogs were used for fighting.
“It’s a pretty grotesque scene,” John Simon said of the underground sport of dog fighting.
Simon and his co-prosecutor Bridgette Jensen showed the jury dozens of grisly photographs of scared dogs, and dead dogs investigators found in the woods near Teamer’s property.
One dog, a five-time champion named Willie, was missing the entire lower portion of his jaw. Fighting dogs are designated grand champions when they win five fights and are then bred because their puppies are considered valuable, Simon said.
Teamer’s defense attorney Peter France produced no witnesses to rebut the prosecution’s long list of charges and allegations.
The dogs found on Teamer’s property were euthanized. Dominic Persichini Santa Rosa County’s Animal Services director said his agency does not adopt out dogs that have been bred for fighting.
“We don’t adopt them out here at the shelter because we consider them a risk,” Persichini said. “Normally, if they are fighting dogs, they usually aren’t aggressive toward people, but they are extremely aggressive toward other dogs.”
Two other men connected with the investigation, Jeffrey Jay, 33, of Century, and Michael Anthony Jones, 34, of Century have charges pending. They are scheduled for court appearances next month.
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