Rhode Island man pleads guilty to cockfighting charges

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Providence man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to cockfighting charges, the U.S. Attorney said.

Onill Vazquez Lozada pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing, sponsoring, and exhibiting birds in an animal fighting venture in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, U.S. Attorney Sara Bloom said in a statement.

As part of his plea, Lozada admitted that on April 27, 2021, he possessed roosters for the purpose of having them fight, Bloom said.

Lozada also admitted that on March 6, 2022, he sponsored and exhibited, and aided and abetted sponsoring and exhibiting, at least one rooster in a fight against another rooster, Bloom said.

Cockfighting is a contest in which a person attaches a knife, gaff or other sharp instrument to the leg of a “gamecock” or rooster and then places the bird a few inches away from a similarly armed rooster.

This results in a fight during which the roosters flap their wings and jump while stabbing each other with the weapons that are fastened to their legs, authorities said.

A cockfight ends when one rooster is dead or refuses to continue to fight. Commonly, one or both roosters die after a fight.

Lozada faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge to which he pleaded guilty.

U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose will sentence Lozada after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

The Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the Postal Inspection Service, and the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation investigated the case.

Assisting the investigation were the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Rhode Island State Police, Massachusetts State Police, Animal Rescue League of Boston’s Law Enforcement Division, Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and police departments in Providence, Woonsocket, and Attleboro, Massachusetts.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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