Ohio man sentenced to prison for dogfighting, drug distribution

A southeast Ohio man will spend nearly two years behind bars for dogfighting and drug distribution.

Michael Valentine, 40, of Bidwell, was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years supervised release. This came after he pleaded guilty to two counts of raising and training dogs for the purpose of fighting and five counts related to fentanyl distribution, according to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ).

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The sentencing came a year after Valentine was sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug distribution. In total, court officials said he’ll serve 11 years in prison.

Law enforcement first investigated Valentine for dogfighting in 2019 after a dog attacked a small child living with him. That led to a search warrant for his home. There, law enforcement seized 40 dogs and numerous items of dog fighting paraphernalia.

A second search in March 2022 happened as part of a fentanyl distribution investigation and revealed dog fighting paraphernalia and two assault-style rifles, according to the DOJ.

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A search of a nearby parcel found 677 grams of fentanyl and 69 grams of cocaine packaged for distribution and another 11 dogs.

“Valentine’s crimes endangered both humans and dogs,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “Thanks to the work of our investigative partners, hundreds of grams of fentanyl were taken out of circulation before reaching our local communities and more than 50 dogs were removed from the defendant. It is appropriate that Valentine will spend a significant amount of time in federal prison.”