February 5th, 2020 by WCBC Radio
The Office of the State’s Attorney for Allegany County, Michael O. Twigg, State’s Attorney, announced that on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, Blair Stephen Carter, 42 of Cumberland was sentenced to a total of 10 years with 5 years suspended in the Division of Corrections after having been convicted of two counts of felony aggravated animal cruelty related to the possession and training of dogs for dogfighting and one count of illegal possession of a regulated firearm following a plea agreement entered on January 14th in the Circuit Court for Allegany County.
The Honorable Judge W. Timothy Finan sentenced Carter on each dog fighting count to 3 years with 6 months suspended to run consecutive in the Division of Corrections. He also received a four-year suspended sentence on the firearm charge. Upon his release, Carter will be subject to supervised probation five years with special conditions to include that he not own, possess, or reside with an animal, forfeiture of the animals seized in connection with the investigation, that he undergo a psychological and substance abuse evaluation and follow treatment, and that he make restitution to the Allegany County Animal Shelter in the amount of $5,000 representing costs associated with the care of the dogs.
A joint investigation led by the Allegany County Sheriff’s Department in conjunction with C3I and Allegany County Animal Control revealed evidence that Carter was involved in the raising and training of dogs to be used in fighting exhibitions. The dogs were observed to be emaciated and many had scaring of the head, face, and ears consistent with injuries associated with dog fighting. Authorities seized the dogs and took them to the Allegany County Animal Shelter where they were evaluated and later treated by a veterinarian. During the investigation, a search warrant was executed at Carter’s residence where further evidence indicative of dog fighting was recovered along with a handgun which Carter is prohibited from possessing due to a disqualifying conviction.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Karen Detrick. Blair Carter was represented by Michael Stankan, Esquire of the Office of the Public Defender.
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February 05, 2020 at 12:12 pm, LRH said:
don’t need him breathing MY air.
February 05, 2020 at 2:27 pm, Lav said:
> Exactly! Matter of fact, do we really need someone like that breathing at all? Seems like he made it a miserable existence for the dogs. Shouldn’t he be made just as miserable? Let the punishment fit the crime.
February 05, 2020 at 3:08 pm, mary lou dawson said:
> Yep – put him in the cage with the dogs he trained to fight. Be sure he is emaciated and weak first!
February 05, 2020 at 4:24 pm, David said:
Go check him out on Judiciary Case search.
February 06, 2020 at 4:17 am, Mark said:
Too bad people don’t get as upset when HUMAN children are mistreated and put in cages on our border.
February 06, 2020 at 10:26 am, Brian said:
Those pictures were from the Obama Administration.