Two men from Western North Carolina convicted on federal dog fighting charges
By Kari Barrows
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POLK COUNTY, North Carolina (WLOS) — Two men from Polk County have been convicted on federal dogfighting charges.
Laddie Dwayne McMillian, 47, and Derrick Twitty, 48, were charged with violating the Animal Welfare Act and related criminal charges.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, McMillian will serve 16 months in prison and Twitty will serve six months in prison. Both defendants will serve two years of supervised release following the completion of their sentences and are prohibited from possessing any dogs during the term of supervision, including through a third party.
Court documents show McMillian conspired to breed, train and fight dogs for nearly 15 years, openly boasting about owning and operating “mass destruction kennels.” Officials say he posted videos online of showing several of his dogs actively fighting, being injured as a result.
In early 2020, officials say Twitty joined the fighting and breeding operations, and together, the two trained and bred dogs for dog fights.
“The defendants in this case treated dogs like a commodity, bred and trained to fight, often to death, for the amusement of spectators taking part in this cruel activity,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina in a press release. “Dogfighting is an illegal blood sport that subjects animals to incredible pain and suffering. It is also a federal crime and one that has the full attention of my office and our law enforcement counterparts.”
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