The bust of a Lincoln County, Ga. cockfighting ring has led to a federal prison sentence for a Lincolnton man.
Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia said Lanier Augustus Hightower, Jr., 65, pleaded guilty to sponsoring and exhibiting an animal in an animal fighting venture. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall in Augusta sentenced Hightower to 14 months in prison with two years of supervised release.
Hall also imposed a $500 fine and prohibited Hightower from owning or keeping any birds or attending any event related to birds or cockfighting. As part of the plea agreement, Hightower will forfeit his more than 100 acres of land in Lincoln County where the cockfights were held.
The investigation began when the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received a tip about the operation in December 2019. Working with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, they raided the cockfight as it was in progress. Dozens were arrested and deputies found two fighting pens and hundreds of chickens.
The federal indictment against Hightower remained sealed until June 2020 when multiple agencies raided a cockfighting venue in Midville, Ga. arresting William Scott Shannon, 48, and another venue in Swainsboro, Ga. where Wendell Allan Strickland, 67, was arrested.
Scott and Strickland have pled guilty to charges and await sentencing in U.S. District Court.
Judge Hall ordered Hightower to report to prison Nov. 8.
Dana Lynn McIntyre is a Staff Reporter with The Augusta Press. You can reach her at dana@theaugustapress.com.
[adrotate banner=”25″]
