Chicago’s Finest Unsung Heroes in Major U.S. Dog-fighting Bust
by Alexis Fasseas | Apr 30, 2008
News outlets across the nation were abuzz this past February when it was announced that Pima County Sheriff deputies and the FBI executed a major raid on one of the largest fight-dog operations in the United States, seizing at least 150 dogs and making three arrests of dog breeders suspected of links to organized dog-fighting operations across the nation. Not as well publicized, much of the information enabling the arrests originated in Burbank, Illinois and was collected and pursued by the Chicago Police Department’s Animal Crimes Unit.
Mid-July last year, the Burbank Police Department stopped a vehicle carrying seven dogs on South Cicero Avenue. Without an animal expert on staff, Burbank reached out to Chicago’s Animal Crimes Unit. When James Conlan and Thomas Barker responded to the scene, they immediately recognized that further investigation was needed. They secured felony charges against the driver and passenger, Brian Baley and Tony Self, well-known and trusted couriers of specially bred dogs for the dog-fighting community, who were held without bond at the Cook County Jail.
After skillful interrogations by the Cook County Sheriff’s police, Brian Degenhardt, and James Conlan at Cook County Jail, it was evident that the Burbank PD has unwittingly uncovered a nation-wide dog trafficking transportation system. Baley would pick up dogs from O’Hare Airport and house them in southside safe houses. He also made frequent trips to New York’s LaGuardia Airport. After funds were received for the dogs, he would personally deliver them to the residence of a well-know dog-fighter in Pima County Arizona.
Conlan and Degenhardt made contact with the Pima County Sheriff’s office, providing information with sufficient probable cause that they could initiate their own surveillance. The Pima County Sheriff detective was able to execute two search warrants.
THE RAID
On February 19, a coordinated effort by SWAT team, Animal Control, and the FBI raided four separate properties simultaneously in Tucson, Arizona. Six people were arrested and indicted on a total of 69 felony and misdemeanor counts, allegedly operating the dog-fighting ring for the past eight years in Pima County. The primary culprit, Mahlon Patrick, had been involved in dog-fighting since the 70s and was known worldwide for originating two blood lines, going by the names Tombstone and Bolio. Regarded as one of the top three breeders of fighting dogs in the country, his dogs ranged in price from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.
All total, law enforcement recovered more than 150 dogs, $10,000 in cash, and 60 firearms, varying from revolvers to assault-type guns. Investigators also suspect ties to organized crime.
THE VICTIMS
At least 10 of the dogs required immediate medical attention for foot infections resulting from standing in their own waste and others showed signs of fighting, including scars on their faces, necks and front legs, signs of a poorly healed broken jaw, and missing teeth. One timid neutered male dog with substantial scarring licked investigators hands when they approached his kennel, which showed signs that bebe pellets were fired at him to torment the poor pup. Dog-fighting paraphernalia, such as a rape-stand and training equipment such as treadmills, were also confiscated.