SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY – Two men from North Carolina face 39 counts after authorities found 19 Pitbull puppies, a toddler, and two loaded firearms inside their parked vehicle.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced the indictment of Russell Brown, 67, and Jamar Belle, 28. According to officials, the men unlawfully confined the puppies in two containers without proper sustenance or ventilation, leading to the animals being covered in feces and urine.
The vehicle also contained a two-year-old child seated near the loaded firearms.
District Attorney Tierney stated that the alleged actions reflect a profound level of disregard for vulnerable populations, including animals and children. Tierney emphasized that such abuses will not be tolerated in Suffolk County.
The indictment followed an investigation initiated on September 1, when Suffolk County Police observed Brown and Belle in a 2022 Jeep Compass. The vehicle was parked on Merritt Avenue in Wyandanch. Officers found ten puppies confined in a rusted crate in the trunk and nine additional puppies in a plastic bin on the back seat.