OH: West Akron man pleads guilty to role in dog-fighting ring

Published: April 13, 2015 - 01:51 PM | Updated: April 13, 2015 - 11:46 PM

An Akron man who hosted dog fights in his garage while attendees ate hot dogs and barbecued ribs in his backyard pleaded guilty in federal court to operating a dog-fighting venture and related charges, law enforcement officials said Monday.

Alvin Banks, 56, pleaded guilty to five counts stemming from the Nov. 15 raid that drew local and federal authorities acting on a tip to his West Akron home.

Banks, the owner of the property in the 1100 block of Cordova Avenue where the raid was conducted, makes the 10th person of those charged in federal court to plead guilty from the list of 47 people charged with fourth-degree felony dog fighting in the incident. The other cases are being processed through local courts, said Mike Tobin, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Banks pleaded guilty to sponsoring and exhibiting a canine in an animal fighting venture; buying, selling, delivering, possessing, training and transporting canines for participation in an animal fighting venture; attending an animal fighting venture; being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition; and possession with intent to manufacture and distribute less than 50 marijuana plants.

He is scheduled to be sentenced June 30.

In addition to firearms, narcotics and more than $52,000, investigators discovered a blood-stained 16-by-16-foot area used as part of an animal fighting venture, as well as two “break sticks” — devices used to pry a dog’s mouth and teeth off another dog when the fight is finished.

They also found eight pit bull or pit bull mixes, two of which were covered in blood and had fresh wounds from a fight that occurred just prior to the execution of the search warrant, according to court documents.

The Humane Society of Greater Akron assisted in the November raid and seized the animals. The agency is hoping to obtain ownership of the animals it has been caring for since they were taken to the facility in Twinsburg, Diane Johnson, president and CEO, said Monday.

“It is our expectation that we will be able to rehabilitate the dogs in our care and we will be able to find them homes where they will be able to enjoy their lives in a safe and caring environment,” she said.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Akron Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office and the Humane Society of Greater Akron.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda H. Barr.

By Kathy Antoniotti
Beacon Journal staff writer

West Akron man pleads guilty to role in dog-fighting ring - Break News - Ohio