Four Missouri men sentenced to prison in dogfighting case

ST. LOUIS — Four Missouri men were sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for crimes uncovered earlier this year during a federal dogfighting crackdown in seven states.

Authorities said the men had roles in breeding, raising, training, conditioning, trafficking, fighting and destroying American pit bull terriers. Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate federal animal fighting laws.

Teddy Kiriakidis, 50, of Leasburg and Ronald Creach, 34, of Leslie were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. Michael Morgan, 38, of Hannibal and Robert Hackman, 56, of Foley, who also pleaded guilty to selling animals for fighting, were each sentenced to a year and a day in prison.

They were among 26 people arrested in July by federal agents who seized more than 500 dogs in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas. It was the largest coordinated multistate dogfighting raids in U.S. history.

Attorneys for the four sentenced Tuesday described their clients as family men caught up in a rural American culture where dogfighting was acceptable. Lawyer Joel Schwartz said Hackman loved and took care and pride in his dogs. Creach was described as an avid hunter and fisherman who raised pigeons and regarded his dogs as pets.

U.S. District Judge Carol Jackson said extraordinary cruelty was evident in each of the men's crimes.