TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man has been convicted of a participating in a dogfighting operation.
Court records show that 32-year-old Tyler McGovern pleaded guilty in Tampa federal court this week to a felony dogfighting count, which is outlined in the federal Animal Welfare Act. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
No sentencing date was immediately scheduled.
A plea agreement says McGovern was part of a group called the Triangle Gang that arranged for pit bulls to fight in three counties in 2015 and 2016. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant in March 2017 at a Sumter County property, where they reported seizing eight dogs, along with equipment and supplements used to condition the dogs for fighting.
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