SPRING HILL, Fla. — A Hernando County man will spend the better half of the next decade behind bars in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges relating to dog fighting. 

Jose Carrillo, of Spring Hill, was sentenced Tuesday to 84 months, or seven years, in prison for conspiring to violate dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. 

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said court filings show Carrillo worked with others to “purchase, acquire, and breed dogs for use in dog fights.” 

Carrillo also staged dog fights in his Spring Hill home and traveled to dog fights in Massachusetts, Florida and Connecticut. 

The case came to a head in June 2023 when authorities did a warranted search of Carrillo’s home. During the search, 10 pitbull-type dogs were found and taken from the home. Most of the dogs were later adopted by new owners, the DOJ said. 

A gun and ammunition were also recovered from the home. 

The DOJ said Carrillo also had “dog fighting paraphernalia” including a bloodstained dog fighting box, a skin stapler, syringes and injectable veterinary medications. 

“To its core, dog fighting is a cruel and criminal exploitation of animals for entertainment,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said in a statement. “Today’s sentence sends a strong deterrent message that the Justice Department will vigorously prosecute these cases.”

“Exploiting and endangering the welfare of animals for personal gain is cruel and abhorrent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida. “Because of the hard work of our law enforcement partners, justice was served.”

If you see animal fighting crimes, you can contact local law enforcement or the USDA-OIG’s complaint hotline by going online here or by calling 1-800-424-9121.