County men caught in drug probe;
cockfighting operation also exposed
Five Rockbridge County residents face trial on felony drug charges stemming from a raid last month in Bedford County.
The Feb. 2 raid resulted from a joint drug investigation by the Rockbridge and Bedford County Sheriff Departments.
Arrested in the raid were Rockbridge residents Jerry Lynwood Branch, Jermale Fitz, Kenso Shaffer, Charles A. Floyd and Thomas O’Hara Hamilton, along with Eric Bryant, Jonathan Spinner, Connie Thorne, Matthew M. Warren and Quentin Dalton Rosser of Bedford County.
Felony charges include counts of manufacture of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; conspiracy in the manufacture of a controlled substance with intent to sell and distribute; manufacture, sale and possession; and conspiracy with intent to sell and distribute marijuana.
A cockfighting operation was also discovered in the course of the drug investigation. Cockfighting carried only a minor penalty in Virginia until new legislation passed last year made it a felony.
Thirty of the 38 roosters rescued from the ring were euthanized by the Bedford County Animal Shelter in late February, said shelter facilities manager Scott Polinek. The shelter was able to find homes for eight of the birds.
“They were a little bit aggressive,” Polinek said. “We tried to adopt them out to sanctuaries or rescue organizations, [but] we just couldn’t hold onto them indefinitely.”
The eight roosters are now living at the Eastern Shore Sanctuary, an animal rights center in Princess Anne, Md.
Although the shelter has held animals confiscated by animal control before, this is the first time the shelter has held animals from a fighting ring. It’s also the first time it had seen such a large number of roosters, Polinek said.
“Any kind of animal fighting is despicable,” Polinek said.
“We’re kind of like the holding facility,” he explained. “When they bring an animal in we just hold onto them for whatever allocated time we’re supposed to hang onto them.”
Produced by
Washington and Lee
journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
Prof. Lisa Tracy
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd