Suspected cockfighting ring raided
After about two years of investigating, a suspected cockfighting ring was exposed in Douglas County. Law enforcement officials arrested two people in connection with the findings. Enlarge video
Ezequiel Olivas
Two people were arrested Tuesday after a cockfighting operation was raided at a rural Douglas County home south of Eudora, authorities said.
About 60 officers and animal officials removed 169 birds from the property, 2174 N. 700 Road, including 118 gamecocks, 48 hens and three chicks, said Ken McGovern, Douglas County sheriff.
“It is a pretty big operation,” McGovern said. “You have all the birds out and then you have all the buildings that have to be looked at.”
He said the operation was spread out over 2 acres of land.
The raid was conducted Tuesday morning after about two years of planning, according to the sheriff. Officials said items believed to be used in the illegal operation also were seized.
Ezequiel Olivas, 44, was charged Tuesday with three counts of conducting cockfighting and one charge of possession of cockfighting paraphernalia, which includes “spurs, gaffs, swords, leather training spur covers or anything worn by a gamecock during a fight,” prosecutors said.
Charges were expected to filed Wednesday against a second suspect, a 40-year-old man living at the house, said Charles Branson, district attorney. The Journal-World does not typically identify suspects unless they’ve been charged.
McGovern said it appeared the birds were being bred at the home and officers were working to determine if fighting also occurred on the premises. The law makes it illegal to breed roosters for fighting, Branson said.
Olivas is the first person charged with felony cockfighting in Kansas. The crime, which is illegal in all states, became a felony in Kansas in July.
“This is a blood sport,” said John Goodwin, manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society of the United States, who participated in the investigation. “It’s an activity where they actually put knives on the heels of these birds, inject them with adrenaline-boosting drugs and have them fight to the death, for nothing more than gambling purposes.”
Branson said the charge carries a probation or prison sentence, depending on the suspect’s criminal history.
The Kansas Highway Patrol, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Lawrence Police Department, Lenexa Police Department, Overland Park Police Department, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Kansas Animal Health Department, the Lawrence Humane Society and the U.S. humane society assisted the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation and in Tuesday’s operation.
Comments
LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.
cabella (anonymous) says…
Put your pants back on boys
hujiko (anonymous) says…
really?
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
jonas_opines (anonymous) says…
damn, jokes already taken.
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
Is anyone suprised at this? After all, this town has been filled with cockthinking lately.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
I wonder if when they got arrested if they were half cocked?
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
Their little operation is going to take on a whole new meaning behind bars.
shorttrees (anonymous) says…
SO if you don't cockfight are you chicken?
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
michael vick called... he wants to know why folks didn't tell him you could do the fighting thing w/ birds instead of dogs.
ksjayhawk74 (anonymous) says…
What, no photo?
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
ksjayhawk74 (anonymous) says…
This reminds me of the time I tried to get a cowfighting ring going, but it didn't work out very well.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
LMAO @ ryknow. good one *thumbs up*
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
ryknow1976~ I wouldn't be too quick to say that... You know, if you have one of "those," you can get all of "those" you want.
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
I'm pretty sure you have to bring your own cock to a cockfight. If they were supplying cocks then they have a whole mess of other charges coming down on them.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
Religion has no place in cockfighting AreUNorml
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
Jeez, my comments are getting deleted quick. Good thing they didn't list one of the accused as being named Dick Johnson.
Newell_Post (anonymous) says…
I used to know some guys out by Tonganoxie many years ago that raised and fought birds. They claimed it was technically legal at the time due to a loophole in the Kansas law (that has since been closed). Legal or illegal, it was stupid and uninteresting as a form of entertainment, IMO.
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
hillbilly, let them transients do whatever they want as long as we keep them away from the downtown area, right?
spiff (anonymous) says…
You know what they say about getting arrested in connection with a suspected Douglas County cockfighting ring...
Or should I say: It takes two to cockfight!
RalphReed (Ralph Reed) says…
Wait a minute. You mean they're talking about birds???
garyr (anonymous) says…
Could this have any connection to Mangino?
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
wow!! you guys have some nice jokes up in here! i'm impressed.
applause goes to ksjayhawk, garyr and ralphy boy. :)
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
It just might, Gary. Everyone has been beating the coc.... I mean Hawks lately.
honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…
seriously tho... cockfighting? i mean, how super duper hick'dified can you get? this makes the people in the cornfield on hee haw look urbane.
shleppy (anonymous) says…
im confused. how exactly do cocks fight?
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
shleppy~ I'm not sure, but spurs are involved. And maybe handcuffs.
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
"The animals and items believed to be used in the illegal operation were seized,"
Items? Cock enhancments?
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
misplacedcheesehead (anonymous) says…
Hey-who's Ralphyboy?
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Since this article is about chicken's fighting each other, can we assume they used their peckers? or beaks? or what ever they call that thang, If they do use those pecker things, would it be safe to call this illegal action "duelling peckers?
YOu know the champion Cock ring fighter is the guy with the biggest baddest, cock? right?
He fed his rooster enzite for natural male enhancement.
DaddyTopCat (Scott Kaiser) says…
Anyone engaged in the aggresive behavior up to and including death of ANY animal and justifying it as a "sport" deserves the maximum allowed penalty of the law. In the courts of man and in the final judgement.
MacHeath (anonymous) says…
I'm not sure what Wally's point was...
MacHeath (anonymous) says…
You have to bring a gun to a gunfight, right?
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Seriously though, I wonder what steroids would do to a fighting cock?
Wallythewalrus (anonymous) says…
Whoops, Sorry, I just thought that those things needed better protection seeing how there is some bad germs out there. Guess I should have read the story.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
jfcm77 (anonymous) says…
You need a couple of big chicken nuggets to get into a cockfight.
beawolf (anonymous) says…
We cut of their heads and have them for supper, so why not let them fight till the death and go out like men. At least the winner gets to live another day.
AreUNorml (anonymous) says…
I just want everyone to take a moment to thank these morons for A) doing something so stupid, and B) getting caught. without their stupidity, our comedic fodder would have no outlet today.
ryknow1976 (anonymous) says…
If there's one thing that's always good for a laugh, it's the dumbasses that live around here.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Multi too funny!!
RalphReed (Ralph Reed) says…
@beawolf: You know that's gotta hurt.
geekin_topekan (anonymous) says…
Boy, Rykno sure gave you guys a mouthful.
srj (anonymous) says…
I will be serious. If they had fights on the property, they have had hundreds of people watch and gamble. Guessing the fans of this are Latino, I think it's still popular (and legal) in Mexico.
sierraclub (anonymous) says…
Wow! I bet Branson is proud of himself. 2 cockfighters are arrested. LOL He cannot get an arrest for a bicycle rider killer, but oh yessssss, cockfighting, now that is something to be proud of. The killer of a bicycle rider is free, but a cockfighter is in jail!! LOL
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
ksjayhawk74 (anonymous) says…
@ firemedic301... No, that's why they put the cocks in cock fighting rings. The rings make the cocks stay rigid and strong.
Penny0727 (anonymous) says…
These cockfighters won't have a thing to worry about with Branson in charge. He and his assistant DAs NEVER convict animal cruelty cases. He let Basoflas, the animal sodomist, off a year ago with a little tap on the wrist, and had his lackey plead down another slam-dunk cruelty case just a couple weeks ago. He's the worst thing to ever happen to animals and animal rights in this city.
HogJiver (anonymous) says…
Last summer I was in a bar & strip club in Mexico having a cold beer and noticed that I was only one of about five customers in the place. I heard alot of noise out back so I went to investigate. About sixty people were behind the building sitting in bleachers watching and betting on a cockfight.
Now in Kansas, I would hope more people would be in the strip club versus the cockfight.
toe (anonymous) says…
I guess they ran afoul with the law. Suddenly I am hungry for KCF.
Soap (anonymous) says…
The Tijuana Donkey Show is still up and running, right??
Soap (anonymous) says…
They haven't uncovered the cat-juggling ring yet, have they??
kawvalleybulldog (anonymous) says…
I'd rather be a fighting chicken than a Tyson chicken
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
sierraclub (Anonymous) says…
Wow! I bet Branson is proud of himself. 2 cockfighters are arrested. LOL He cannot get an arrest for a bicycle rider killer, but oh yessssss, cockfighting, now that is something to be proud of. The killer of a bicycle rider is free, but a cockfighter is in jail!!
My thoughts exactly! Now we know why charges haven't been filed in the Rachel Leek case yet - he's been too busy fighting 'real' crime!
( I don't condone animal cruelty, but I have even less tolerance for human cruelty!)
AnnaUndercover (Anna Undercover) says…
Cruelty to animals is an atrocity.
defenestrator (anonymous) says…
Reminds me of the time Marion and Tom Shewmon were caught "sword fighting" out in the woods.
Penny0727 (anonymous) says…
Unfortunately, what most people just don't get is that animal cruelty is simply a precursor to human abuse. If we could just get Branson off his butt to convict these people, we could head off or break up a lot of crime before it gets worse.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Sounds like you hit a nerve, Def!
Now, that was funny!
Those creeps who ran afoul of the law are not, however. Hope they are prosecuted to the full extent...
BMI (anonymous) says…
Whoa! Keep that mouse in the house there Marion.
cait48 (anonymous) says…
Wow Marion. You came out swinging.
What pains me is that, in re: the article, I "coughcough" agree with you "coughcough". (I wonder if we both need to go shower now? Think those liberal/conservative germs are catching?) Oh well, even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Termcd4 (anonymous) says…
wow, what a way to get up, and get the day started! You all are too funny. Terrible about the birds tho'. Really sad.
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
flux (anonymous) says…
Strong fighting Cocks!!
grammaddy (anonymous) says…
I should have come here first, looks like a lot of good jokes have been removed!
Seriously though folks. What's the difference between this guy and Michael Vick? Not a joke, this is a serious question. Animal cruelty is just wrong on so many levels.
cait48 (anonymous) says…
Yeah yeah I know it's Wikipedia but it does have some good info.In particular notice the use of "spurs". I grew up on a farm with free range chickens and I saw my share of rooster fights but it wasn't anything like this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockfigh...
Informed (anonymous) says…
This operation was small potatoes when compared with the rooster ranch I've visited in Oklahoma. 1500 fighting cocks and more than 200 hens. It made for an intersting couple of nights for sleeping. The roosters were sold mostly to Louisiana and Mexico. I mention it now because my friend no longer works there.
slang4d (anonymous) says…
"The raid was conducted Tuesday morning after about two years of planning"
Uh, way to be quick about it. I wonder how many roosters were tortured during this two-year planning period.
75x55 (anonymous) says…
One photo is worth a thousand cheap sophomoric 'jokes'...
Seems like this wasn't much of a "hidden operation" - what is that, an acre plus of obviousness?
KEITHMILES05 (anonymous) says…
I've never in my life seen so many postings deleted. All because of some roosters and cock business. Pretty silly if you ask me.
cait48 (anonymous) says…
Keith, some people get offended by the use of the word "cock" as a slang term for male genitalia. Other people are immature enough to deliberately play on those sensitivities just to see the reaction. Typical board behavior for most of the internet. I saw it coming the minute the article hit. Sex in this society can't be discussed with any degree of rationality. It's the one area of life where most men are pretty determined to act like 12 year olds. Funny, I have seen a handful of women do this but it is mostly men.