Three Plead Guilty in HPA Violation Case
- Topics: Article, Equine Welfare Legislation
A Tennessee gaited horse trainer and two other individuals have pleaded guilty to charges that they conspired to violate the Horse Protection Act (HPA) by soring horses.
In March a federal grand jury in Chattanooga, Tenn., handed down an indictment alleging that between 2002 and 2010, Spotted Saddle Horse trainer Barney Davis and two other individuals–Christen Altman and Jeffery Bradford–conspired to violate the HPA by applying soring practices to horses and falsifying forms and other paperwork required to exhibit animals. On April 26 the jury handed down a 34-count superseding indictment also charging horse trainer Paul Blackburn in the case. The superseding indictment also contained wire fraud and money laundering charges against Davis and Altman that were not included in the previous indictment.
On Oct. 18 Blackburn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the HPA.
On Nov. 8 Davis, Altman, and Bradford also pleaded guilty to the HPA violations, said Sharry Dedman-Beard, public information officer for the U.S State’s Attorney’s Office, Eastern Tennessee District. Davis also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit witness tampering in the case
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Written by:
Pat Raia
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