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Prosecutors allege years of illegal dogfighting activity

 

POLK COUNTY––Two Polk County men are facing a 12-count federal indictment accusing them of multiple crimes related to dogfighting.

Laddie Dwayne McMillian, 46, of Tryon, and Derrick Twitty, 47, of Columbus, are alleged to have bred, trained, transported and pitted dogs in deadly fights, over several years, for thousands of dollars in bets.

The indictment alleges that the crimes took place over the course of 5 years, from May 2017 through February 1, 2022, in Polk County. 

 

In the nine-page indictment, communications between the two men are revealed in which McMillian brags about one dog fight pitting “Slick Rick,” the name of one of the dogs, against another dog named “Kane.” It also shows another communication where McMillian boasts about the ferocity of another dog, “Seniorita Maria.”

The federal court filing also says that McMillian and Twitty “acquired and maintained medicines, such as veterinary injectable medications, for purposes of attempting to treat dogs injured during dog fights, without the assistance of scrutiny of a veterinarian.”

The two are scheduled to make their first appearances in Asheville federal court later this month.