Cheektowaga man pleads guilty to dog fighting charges
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Cheektowaga man pleaded guilty Tuesday to animal cruelty charges in connection with dog fighting, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Officials said police executed a search warrant at the residence of James A. Jackson, 24, on Andrews Avenue in Cheektowaga following a tip about dog fighting in April 2022. Investigators recovered evidence of dog fighting and seized three dogs found in the basement of the home, while the remains of two others were recovering in the backyard.
Jackson admitted that he trained three pit bull mixed breeds to engage in dog fighting and intentionally deprived the dogs of food and medical treatment, according to officials.
Jackson was charged with three counts of prohibition of animal fighting, four counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; failure to provide proper sustenance and one count of prohibition of animal fighting, possession, sale or making of animal fight paraphernalia.
The charges against a co-defendant of Jackson’s who was also indicted for their alleged role in the dog fighting will be dismissed after Jackson’s sentencing.
In a separate incident, Jackson also pleaded guilty to a second-degree attempted criminal possession of a weapon charge in connection with a May 2023 incident.
Officials said Jackson was stopped by Buffalo police and proceeded to drive off when officers asked him to step out of the vehicle. Jackson then caused a collision with another vehicle and attempted to flee on foot from police, but was quickly apprehended. Police later found a loaded illegal handgun behind the driver’s seat of Jackson’s vehicle, which he was linked to through DNA testing.
Jackson faces a maximum of seven years in prison for both cases when he is sentenced on June 3.
Latest Local News
‘Kitchen appreciation fees’ becoming the normal in WNY
$200K in damages from apartment fire on Delaware Avenue
Mail not delivered to mailboxes at Linwood Senior Living in 3 months
Randall’s Heritage Maple continues its legacy
4 hospitalized after 3-vehicle crash on Sheridan Drive in Amherst
Adam Gorski is a Buffalo native who joined the News 4 team in 2022. You can find more of his work here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo.
