MANHATTAN, NY – Jose Rivera, a 59-year-old resident of Washington Heights, has been sentenced to 4.5 years in state prison for his involvement in a dogfighting ring and possession of narcotics.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced the sentencing following Rivera’s guilty plea on November 14.
Rivera admitted to hosting dogfights on September 29, 2018, and June 8, 2019, and planning additional fights. He was employed as a live-in superintendent and trained dogs in the same building.
In October 2019, investigators seized ten pit bulls, two non-fighting dogs, dogfighting paraphernalia, a deceased dog, four kilograms of heroin, three kilograms of fentanyl, and two loaded handguns from Rivera’s residence.
He pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Causing Any Animal to Engage in Animal Fighting. Rivera is also prohibited from owning any animals for the next 10 years.