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We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

Animal Defenders of Westchester
P.O. Box 205
Yonkers, NY 10704

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Stop Animal Fighting

Prison for 'Al Capone of dog fighting'

From the TIMES-HERALD RECORD www.recordonline.com :

July 19, 2005

Goshen

He lost his appeal, and yesterday, in Orange County Court, James Fricchione lost his liberty.

Fricchione, 35, surrendered yesterday to begin serving a 2-to-seven year sentence for turning his Westtown home into an arena for dogfights.

State police raided Fricchione's house in 2003, charging him with several counts of animal cruelty and related offenses. He also published a trade magazine, The Sporting Dog Journal, which was regarded by authorities as the definitive guidebook for dogfighting. After a nonjury trial before Judge Nicholas DeRosa, Fricchione was convicted in March 2004 of six felonies and five misdemeanors.

Prosecutor David Hoovler said at the time that Fricchione's reputation was such that "to the dog-fighting world, this is like taking down Al Capone."

The sentence was stayed while Fricchione appealed, arguing that the search warrant state police obtained for his house was defective. His appeal was rejected by the Appellate Division of state Supreme Court.

Fricchione was being held at the Orange County Jail last night, pending transfer to a state prison. After he's paroled, he'll face similar charges in Pittsburgh.

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