21 indicted in 'deeply disturbing' Indianapolis dog-fighting, drug trafficking operation

A large-scale probe into drugs, illegal guns and dog-fighting in Central Indiana led to multiple arrests this month in a federal investigation, law enforcement officials announced Thursday.

In total, 21 people have been indicted in the multi-agency crackdown. The array of accusations largely stems from an Indianapolis dog-fighting and illegal gambling ring that has a history dating to 2001. The FBI said the accused group is part of a neighborhood-based gang operating along East 34th Street in Indianapolis.

Law enforcement officers on Aug. 31 conducted sweeping raids at 25 locations in the region, leading to the arrests.

"People live in these communities where these crimes are being committed," said Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Kendale Adams. "Today, they are a little safer."

Of the 21 people implicated in the criminal case, two men, Gregory Henderson Jr. and Maurice Ervin, remain on the run. The men are believed to still be in the United States, possibly in Indianapolis. The FBI is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

Officials on Thursday said the investigation started in 2022 as a case of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine smuggling. Police confiscated four cellphones after a drug bust in the spring of 2022. Using those phones, detectives linked several of the accused to a dog-fighting ring, according to newly-unsealed court documents totaling over 100 pages of the investigation.

Federal law enforcement leaders on Thursday said they traced the drug supply to a member of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture began looking into the alleged dog-fighting business in Indianapolis after the 2022 arrest of a 57-year-old man police say was found with 11 pit bulls in a van during a traffic stop in Madison, Mississippi. Animal control officers noticed two of the dogs had wounds and scars consistent with fighting.

Police also found a ledger with states written down for pick-up and drop-off sites for dogs. Detectives in court records said they learned the dog transporting went as far as New York, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and West Virginia. Indiana was listed several times in the ledger, the documents state.

The discovery of the dogs led investigators to the arrested man's larger-scale business, “Roll and Hold Pet Express,” in Indianapolis. Officials said a review of his cellphone uncovered several photos of injured dogs, videos of dog fights, fliers for fighting shows and a PDF document titled “Appendix 32 Cajun Rules for Dogfighting.” In some images, the dogs wore weighted vests commonly used to strengthen dogs before a fight.

"The allegations are deeply disturbing," said Zach Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.

Police found the suspected criminal enterprise dates back to 2001, when one of the men indicted called Indianapolis police officers and reported his dog had been shot in the head. When officers arrived, they found seven malnourished and scarred pit bulls tied up on the property.

Four years later, the same man was convicted of animal torture after police found multiple dogs inside his home. Two of the dogs had fresh cuts on their face, court records stated. Two dog ears laid on a table in the home’s backyard, which police in court records explained is common in dog-fighting so opposing canines won’t chew or bite on the animal’s ears during the fight.

In the Aug. 31 raids, officers seized approximately 90 dogs across dozens of locations. Myers said the dogs are being held in an undisclosed location for a behavior analysis to determine whether they are adoptable. He acknowledged that in similar cases, fighting dogs that are seized have been euthanized.

Federal agents further seized 43 firearms, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, 459 grams of heroin, 532 grams of fentanyl and more than 660 grams of cocaine.

Animal fighting conspiracy charges carry a prison sentence up to five years. Drug trafficking conspiracy charges face up to a life sentence.

Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Feds break up suspected Indianapolis dog fighting and drug ring