A Suwanee man has been sentenced after his conviction as a dogfighting trainer. Vernon Vegas, 49, pleaded guilty last September to one count of conspiracy in animal fighting. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Middle Georgia, he will spend five years in prison, the maximum sentence possible. As part of his plea agreement, he also agreed to forfeit the $116,819 seized during his arrest. Once released, Vegas faces three years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine.
Vegas had bred, trained and sold fighting dogs for over 25 years. Vegas’ business, Cane Valley Kennels, was at the center of a dogfighting investigation, as well as an investigation into drug trafficking. Vegas was suspected of being involved in a major organization that distributed cocaine throughout North Georgia, as well as Florida and Alabama.
In Feb. 2020, law enforcement executed 15 residential search warrants and seized more than 150 dogs that were being used for organized dogfighting. When searching the dog training facility, authorities found chains, a staple gun, and veterinary treatments for dogs injured in fights. Vegas even prepared online pedigrees for the dogs bred and trained in his kennels.
“Vernon Vegas has received the maximum prison sentence for training others in the brutal and bloody business of dogfighting, a world that fosters a multitude of other dangerous criminal activity,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Our office, working alongside local, state, and federal law enforcement, will hold individuals and groups that participate in illegal dog-fighting accountable for their crimes.”
