<p>Two men who allegedly promoted pit bull fighting across the country were charged in connection with the underground dogfighting magazine they published, Pennsylvania authorities said.</p><p>James Jay Fricchione, 34, of Westtown, N.Y., and John "Jack" Kelly, 80, of Jefferson, Ga., were both charged Monday for their alleged work on the Sporting Dog Journal.</p><p>The magazine has a paid circulation of about 10,000 nationally and internationally and was run by Kelly until he sold it to Fricchione in 2001, authorities said Monday.</p><p>Attorney General Jerry Pappert said the bimonthly magazine contained information on clandestine dog fights generally held in rural areas; fight results; and advertisements for puppies, stud services and equipment such as treadmills and break sticks, which are used to separate fighting dogs.</p><p>But most importantly, Pappert said, the magazine bestowed champion status recognized by the underground dogfighting public and enabled participants to raise the stakes for wagers and puppy and stud fees.</p><p>A grand jury investigation uncovered bets of $10,000 on a single fight between champion dogs and purses of $50,000 for a night's fight card, Pappert said. The magazine's ad showed pups sired by champion fighters selling for $1,000 and dog owners seeking $1,500 for stud fees.</p><p>"Just as the American Kennel Club bestows the title of champion on show dogs, the Sporting Dog Journal would confer the title of champion upon a pit bull that won three fights and the journal could confer the title of grand champion on a dog that won five fights," Pappert said.</p><p>"This case is about stopping the use of the Sporting Dog Journal, certainly in Pennsylvania and hopefully elsewhere. If you want to analogize it to a drug investigation," Pappert said, "we've now gotten to the supplier."</p><p>Even after selling the magazine to Fricchione, Kelly remained the man who authenticated the dogs' records and conferred their lucrative championship status upon them, Pappert said.</p><p>Fricchione and Kelly are both charged with two counts each of cruelty to animals and one count each of conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals. In Pennsylvania, cruelty to animals can be charged if a person either "promotes" or "encourages, aids or assists animal fighting," Pappert said. All counts are felonies carrying up to seven years in prison and fines up to $15,000 upon conviction.</p><p>Harley said Kelly and Fricchione were to turn themselves into authorities in New York and Georgia, but authorities in those states couldn't immediately confirm whether that had happened. The Associated Press could not immediately locate telephone numbers for either defendant.</p><p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture assisted the investigation, but deferred to state officials because the federal animal cruelty law is a misdemeanor that calls for less than a year in prison and small fines, said Brian L. Haaser, who heads the USDA's Office of Inspector General in Beltsville, Md.</p><p>The USDA and the Humane Society of the United States, which estimates that 40,000 people are involved in dog fighting in this country, are lobbying for stricter federal laws, Haaser said.</p><p>The magazine investigation grew out of a state police probe that saw six people arrested in 2002 for holding dog fights throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. Five were convicted and received probation, while one alleged participant is still awaiting trial.</p><p>Dog fights are illegal in all 50 states.</p><p>Authorities said they didn't know who started the magazine, which was first published in 1972. Subscribers paid at least $40 for a six-issue annual mail-order subscription and had to supply a reference or two to get the magazine. The magazine netted its publisher $5,000 to $6,000 a month, Pappert said.</p>
