18 fighting roosters found dead

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - A man was arrested on numerous charges after a tipster assisted authorities to a big cockfighting ring in Van Buren County.

Bobby Johnson, 32, was arraigned Monday and a $20,000 bond was set. He will be back in court on March 12.

A 911 caller said the cockfighting was occurring at a residence in the 56000 block of 48th Avenue in Lawrence Township.

Then around 9:50 p.m. Sunday, deputies confronted the homeowner -- Johnson -- who showed them the roosters and hens that he raised.

Deputies noticed blood and feathers in the dirt inside a pole barn. Johnson said one rooster was involved in a fight earlier that night.

The Van Buren County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigations Division and other members of the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office Uniform Division assisted in the case.

Authorities obtained a search warrant and confiscated 18 roosters that died from apparent fighting, a stolen quad runner, a stolen mini-bike, more than $5,000 in cash, paperwork and paraphernalia related to cockfighting, and other possible stolen tools.

Johnson was arrested on three counts of animal fighting (five-year felonies), two counts of receiving and concealing stolen property over $1,000 but less than $20,000 (five-year felonies), and one count of receiving and concealing stolen property more than $200 but less than $1,000 (a misdemeanor).