BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A federal grand jury has charged five individuals with conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and operating an illegal gambling business, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced.
The two-count indictment, filed in U.S. District Court, names James Shawn Murphree, 48, Denny Gonzalez-Guzman, 30, Kasten Finis Murphree, 22, Kelby Shawn Murphree, 27, and Kimberly Ann Evans, 48, all from Alabama, as defendants in the case.
According to the indictment, the defendants organized cockfighting derbies in Blountsville, Alabama, between March 2025 and June 2025. Attendees paid $40 to watch the fights, while competitors paid entry fees ranging from $700 to $1,000. The winners of these derbies received a share of the prize pool…