Griffin man gets 2 years for dogfighting, pandemic relief fraud
Norman Dixson. Courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice
GRIFFIN, Ga. - A Griffin man who federal prosecutors say bred and trained dogs for fighting while using fraudulently obtained pandemic relief money to support his lifestyle has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.
What we know:
Norman Dixson, 35, was sentenced Aug. 7 after pleading guilty in April to one count of sponsoring and exhibiting a dog in an animal fighting venture, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
Dixson will also serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $171,069 in restitution. He will be prohibited from possessing dogs throughout his supervised release.
Norman Dixson. Courtesy of U.S. Department of Justice
Dogfighting operation documented online
What they're saying:
Federal prosecutors said evidence obtained from Dixson's Facebook and iCloud accounts showed he had been breeding dogs for fighting since at least 2018.
Investigators found videos and photographs showing dogs kept on heavy chains and housed in makeshift pens or overcrowded crates surrounded by waste, according to prosecutors.
Authorities said Dixson used treadmills and other equipment to condition dogs for fighting and advertised puppies on Facebook for that purpose.
Investigators also recovered recordings of dog fights in which animals suffered serious injuries. Other videos showed dead or dying dogs, including some hanging by their necks from leashes, which authorities said suggested the animals had been strangled.
"Dixson exploited federal relief programs while breeding, training, and abusing dogs in horrific conditions for his barbaric entertainment and monetary gain," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. "Dogfighting has no place in civilized society."
More than $170,000 in pandemic relief money
Federal authorities said Dixson also fraudulently collected more than $170,000 through Paycheck Protection Program and unemployment insurance benefits established to provide financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigators said Dixson lied to state and federal agencies to obtain money he was not entitled to receive.
Anthony P. D'Esposito, inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor, said Dixson defrauded the Indiana Department of Workforce Development by filing for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits he knew he was not eligible to receive.
D'Esposito said the fraud diverted taxpayer-funded assistance intended for people who legitimately needed help during the pandemic.
Federal agencies investigated case
The backstory:
The investigation was conducted by the inspector general offices of the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
USDA Inspector General John Walk called dogfighting "grossly inhuman" and said the sentence should serve as a warning that violations of federal animal welfare laws will be prosecuted.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla prosecuted the case.