The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Wise County, Va., Floyd County, Ky. residents charged after federal, state probe of cockfights




Three Kentuckians and two Virginia residents have been charged in federal court with conducting cockfi ghts that drew people from eight states to a pit in eastern Kentucky.

The five were charged with conspiring to operate an illegal gambling enterprise and illegally conduct cockfights at the Big Blue Sportsmen’s Club in Mc- Dowell, Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Heaphy of the Western District of Virginia said in a news release this week.

Appearing in federal court Monday were:

· Walter Dale Stumbo, 51, of Floyd County

· Sonya Stumbo, 51, of Floyd County

· Joshua Stumbo, 25, of Floyd County

· Wesley Dean Robinson, 57, of Wise County, Va.

· Jonathan Robinson, 33, of Wise County, Va.

The defendants are charged with conspiring to ( a) operate an illegal gambling enterprise and (b) illegally conduct cock fights.

The following defendants are charged in state court:

· Phillip Albert Meade, 54 of Pound, Va.: nine felony counts of unlawful manufacturing, transporting, or selling of an alcoholic beverage while being armed; one count of knowingly or intentionally possessing marijuana not obtained from, or pursuant to valid prescription; four counts of possessing, keeping, shipping, or transporting untaxed alcoholic beverages.

· Tammy Carol Meade, 47, of Pound, Va.: two felony counts of unlawful manufacturing, transporting, or selling of an alcoholic beverage while being armed; two counts of possessing, keeping, shipping, or transporting untaxed alcoholic beverages.

· Jeffery A. Meade, 40, of Pound, Va.: five felony counts of unlawful manufacturing, transporting, or selling of an alcoholic beverage while being armed; seven counts of possessing, keeping, shipping, or transporting untaxed alcoholic beverages; one count of selling alcoholic beverages without a license.

· Russell Peaks, 38, of Pound, Va.: one felony count of selling, giving, or distributing a controlled substance classified as a Schedule III.

A federal criminal complaint unsealed this week in United States District Court in Abingdon alleges the Stumbos, Robinsons and others conspired to have cock fights at the Big Blue Sportsmen’s Club (“Big Blue”) in McDowell, Ky. The complaint further alleges the defendants, and others, organized a comprehensive cock fighting derby at Big Blue, which included collecting “parking” fees from spectators, entrance fees from handlers and offering for sale such services as antibiotics for fighting birds, a full-service restaurant for spectators, slot machines and fighting gaffes for fighting cocks.

It is alleged that on fight weekends at Big Blue, spectators and handlers traveled from Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Georgia. The complaint further alleges that entrance fees at Big Blue were $250 per entry with approximately 100 total entries per derby.

The defendants werejailed after their arrests. The Robinsons appeared in federal district court in Abingdon Monday and were released on bond. The Stumb o s appeared in federal district court in Pikeville and were also released on bond. The Stumbos also appeared in federal district court in Abingdon on Tuesday.



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