Posted: August 28, 2008, 5 a.m. EDT
An alleged dogfighting operation near Ellijay, Ga., was raided recently by Gilmer County sheriff’s deputies, with the help of a team of animal welfare agencies and Appalachian Circuit District Attorney Joe Hendricks’s office.
Gerald Holcumb, who has reportedly been involved in dogfighting since the 1960s, was arrested and charged with felony dogfighting, possession of a firearm, and possession of marijuana. Holcumb remained in custody this week, according to the district attorney’s office.
Authorities seized 11 dogs along with suspected dogfighting paraphernalia. Several dogs had scars consistent with dogfighting, according to investigators at the scene.
The raid marks the fourth dogfighting bust in the state since the May 10 passage of new legislation that strengthened Georgia’s dogfighting law, making it a felony to own, possess, train, transport, or sell a dog for the purpose of dogfighting. Holcumb could receive one to five years in prison and a minimum fine of $5,000 or both if convicted.