December 12, 2022
DEAR FRIENDS,
As you will recall, SHARK exposed the Easterling's cockfighting and rooster breeding operation (pictured below) in August 2020, see video here. In October 2021, the Feds finally busted them, see press release from the Department of Justice here.
On August 11, 2022, cockfighters and gamefowl breeders Brent Colon Easterling, George William Easterling, William Colon Easterling, William Tyler Easterling, Kassi Brook Easterling, Amber Nicole Easterling, and Thomas Glyn "Junior" Williams pleaded guilty to federal and state of Alabama charges filed in 2021. The charges are as follows: “conspiracy to violate federal anti-animal fighting laws, including operating fighting pits on their properties, possessing thousands of fighting animals, transporting those animals across the globe for fighting, and trafficking in cockfighting implements."
Last week the New York Post ran a story on the sentencing of what the Department of Justice called "one of the largest cockfighting enterprises in the country." Read the article below:
Alabama family sentenced for running ‘one of the largest cockfighting enterprises’ in US
Brent Colon Easterling, 38, on November 30, 2022 drew the heaviest sentence: 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
William Tyler Easterling, 30, on the same day was sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release.
William Colon “Jim” Easterling, 77, who introduced his sons and granddaughter to cockfighting, received only two years of home detention — “rather than incarceration,” the Department of Justice noted, “which the court determined would be ‘extremely detrimental’ to his declining health — and a fine of $8,000.”
George William “Billy” Easterling, 56, was sentenced to prison for 22 months, followed by one year of supervised release.
Three members of the Easterling family copped plea bargains on June 3, 2022.
Kassi Brook Easterling, 39, received two years on probation, including six months of home detention.
Amber Nicole Easterling, 25, received one year on probation, as did Thomas Glyn “Junior” Williams, 34.
Read Beth and Merritt Clifton's Animals 24-7 article for more information here.
Obviously, these sentences are not nearly as harsh as they should be, but as Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said, “As these sentences vividly show, the Department of Justice will continue to hold accountable those who encourage and profit from forcing animals to fight each other for human entertainment.” 
