HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury has indicted five Alabama residents for allegedly organizing cockfighting derbies and running an illegal gambling business in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced Monday.
According to the two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court, James Shawn Murphree, 48, Kasten Finis Murphree, 22, and Kelby Shawn Murphree, 27, all of Blountsville; Denny Gonzalez-Guzman, 30, of Albertville; and Kimberly Ann Evans, 48, of Hayden, conspired to conduct cockfighting events between March and June.
The indictment details how the group allegedly organized multiple cockfighting derbies in Blountsville. Spectators paid $40 to attend the events, while participants were charged entry fees ranging from $700 to $1,000 per rooster. Winners received a share of the prize pool.
Cockfighting events, known as “derbies,” involve roosters fitted with bladed weapons and forced to fight until one dies or can no longer continue. These fights were organized in arenas called “pits,” with spectators placing bets on the outcomes.
The case is the result of a long-term investigation led by the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force. That task force includes Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency also participated in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Jonathan S. Cross are prosecuting the case.
