‘Black Jack’ Davis sent to federal prison for dogfighting, drug dealing in Middle Georgia

A Middle Georgia man who pleaded guilty to his involvement in sprawling cocaine, methamphetamine and dogfighting cases that stretched from the midstate into Florida and Alabama was on Friday sentenced to a decade and a half in federal prison.

A multi-agency investigation into drug and dogfighting operations began in late spring 2019.

Some of those arrested and since convicted included 20 Georgians, most of whom hailed from Warner Robins, Fort Valley, Macon, Roberta and Reynolds.

At Friday’s sentencing before U.S. District Court Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III — the last sentencing in those cases — a man named Armard “Black Jack” Davis, of Fort Valley, was sentenced to 15-plus years in prison and four more on probation.

According to a news statement from federal prosecutors, Davis, 43, had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy involving animal fighting.

Davis’ plea agreement noted that law enforcement officials, during their probe, used intercepted phone calls and text messages from cellphones belonging to Davis and four co-defendants. The communications were said to have mentioned, among other things, the planning of dogfights and gambling on such events.

In late February 2020, cops searched Davis’ property on Vienna Street in Fort Valley and rescued nine pit bull-type dogs, many of them injured, some with broken legs and open wounds.

About a year later, in January 2021, DEA agents surveilled a drug deal in Warner Robins during which a woman bought 12 ounces of suspected meth from Davis, his plea agreement stated.

The agents followed Davis “for several hours” and Peach sheriff’s deputies pulled him over for speeding, seizing about a pound of meth and nearly $4,000 cash.