A Manatee County couple was found guilty of aggravated animal cruelty on Wednesday.

Alan Napier, 52, was found guilty by a jury of scheming to defraud, unlawful solicitation, and eight counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

Sheree Napier, 46, was found guilty of scheming to defraud and eight counts of aggravated animal cruelty.

The couple faces from three to 85 years in prison.

The jury began deliberating around 12:40 p.m. and a verdict was reached around 4 p.m.  Alan Napier was taken into custody while Sheree Napier is allowed out on bond for medical reasons.

A judge also ordered a psychological evaluation for the couple.

The Napiers ran Napier's Log Cabin Horse and Animal Sanctuary off State Road 64 before investigators seized hundreds of animals from their 10-acre property last February. The charges were related to allegations of neglect in the cases of nine dogs, five horses and one cat.

"These animals that they owned and had custody and control over showed obvious evidence of repeated and excessive infliction of unnecessary pain and suffering," Assistant State Attorney Garrett Franzen said.

Many of the animals were malnourished, lacked water or suffered from diseases such as worm parasites, law enforcement officials said.

The group that took in 17 of the Napiers' horses, Whispering Ranches Farm, celebrated the verdict tonight.

"Our common ground was to help the animals and be apart of the community because this came from our community," said Beth Shuttleworth of Whispering Ranches Farm. "So it gave everybody the change to give back to the community. So it really helped everybody.  Not just the horses."

Of the 17 that Shuttleworth took in, only about six of them are still in her care. The others have been placed in foster care and she hopes with the exception of a couple horses that she's keeping for herself, the rest will go to good homes soon.

Sentencing has been set for March 27.