Two New Jersey residents were charged for their participation in a dog fighting ring involving the “DMV Board,” a Telegram-based dog fighting collective spanning several states.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Tommy J. “Snakes” Watson of Clayton, and Johnnie Lee Nelson Jr. of Bridgeton appeared in court on charges in early December 2023.
Watson and Nelson conspired with others to fight, train, transport and possess pit bull-type dogs in dog fighting ventures between August 2017 and March 2019, according to court documents and statements made in court. Their activities were in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Watson conducted a dog fighting operation with other individuals known as “From Da Bottom Kennels” and fought pit bull-type dogs in dog fights, housed and trained dogs for dog fighting and acquired, without veterinarian assistance or scrutiny, medical equipment including skin staplers to treat dogs injured during fights. Watson and other individuals also used the “DMV Board” to transmit videos of live-streamed dog fights, dogs training to fight and underperforming fighting dogs being killed, including by hanging.
In a December 2018 dog fight in Upper Deerfield Township, N.J., Watson fought two dogs, including one named “Bunz.” He trained and transported a third dog, named “Rambo,” for a dog fight event at the same location on March 23, 2019, which was disrupted by law enforcement. Two dogs that were fighting were discovered by law enforcement at the location inside a car where participants had placed the dogs before fleeing to avoid detection by law enforcement.
Nelson trained “Rambo” for fighting purposes in the March 23, 2019 dog fight event at the same location.
Watson is also charged with the unlawful possession of ammunition that he brought to the dog fight event.
Watson and Nelson each face penalties up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fines per count of animal fighting charges. Watson also faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the ammunition charge.
The investigation, which is ongoing, is conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Inspector General, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and detectives with the Cumberland County, New Jersey, Prosecutor’s Office.
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Rebecca Barnabi
