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By JOYANNA LOVE | Managing Editor

Sentencing was finalized in the federal court on Dec. 6 for the seven Verbena residents who had been arrested in connection with the operation of one of the largest-scale cockfighting arenas and breeding operations in the country.

George William “Billy” Easterling, 56; Brent Colon Easterling, 38 and William “Tyler” Easterling, 30 each pled guilty to multiple felonies on Aug. 5. Each has been sentenced to time in prison.

“On Dec. 6, George William “Billy” Easterling, 56, was sentenced to 22 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for violating the Animal Welfare Act’s prohibition against animal fighting and for conspiring with others to violate the Act in connection with the cockfighting pit and the Swift Creek Gamefarm fighting-bird breeding operation,” according to Middle District of Alabama United States Attorney’s Office information. “On Nov. 30, Brent Colon Easterling, 38, was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for violating the Animal Welfare Act’s prohibition against animal fighting and for conspiring with others to violate the Act in connection with the cockfighting pit and the L&L Gamefarm fighting-bird breeding operation. On Nov. 30, William “Tyler” Easterling, 30, was sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release for violating the Animal Welfare Act’s prohibition against animal fighting and for conspiring with others to violate the Act in connection with the cockfighting pit and the Swift Creek Gamefarm fighting-bird breeding operation.”

In addition, “On Nov. 30, William Colon “Jim” Easterling, 77, was sentenced to two years of home detention — rather than incarceration which the court determined would be ‘extremely detrimental” to his declining health — and a fine of $8,000 for violating the Animal Welfare Act’s prohibition against animal fighting ventures and for conspiring with others to violate the Act and to operate an illegal gambling business in connection with the cockfighting pit.”

Three other members of the Easterling family had been sentenced on Oct. 13 after having pled guilty “to conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act or to a substantive violation of the Act” on June 3.

“Kassi Brook Easterling, 39, was sentenced to two years of probation, including six months of home detention, for conspiring with others to violate the Animal Welfare Act’s prohibition against animal fighting ventures, including the sale of cockfighting knives, and for her involvement with the L&L Gamefarm fighting-bird breeding operation,” according to Middle District of Alabama United States Attorney’s Office information. “Amber Nicole Easterling, 25, was sentenced to one year of probation for her involvement with the cockfighting pit. Thomas Glyn ‘Junior’ Williams, 34, was sentenced to one year of probation for his involvement with the cockfighting pit and the Swift Creek Gamefarm fighting-bird breeding operation.”

“These sentences demonstrate the importance of enforcing the Animal Welfare Act to ensure the humane treatment of animals and prohibit cruel practices such as cockfighting,” said United States Attorney Sandra Stewart for the Middle District of Alabama.

The Animal Wellness Action organization was a part of providing evidence in this case, and released a statement after the sentences were announced.

“Every cockfighter in the United States should pay attention to what has happened to an Alabama family that was knee-deep in the enterprise of cockfighting,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action. “These cockfighters have lost their assets and their freedom. That’s the potential fate of anyone involved in the barbaric practice of staged animal fighting. We thank the Department of Justice and other federal law enforcement actors for advocating for treating these crimes with the seriousness they deserve.”

The cockfighting operation in Verbena had been described as “a cockfighting arena or ‘pit’ with stadium seating for approximately 150 people and several rings to host cockfights,” which operated from January 2018 until 2021.

Animal Wellness Action said the breeding operation reached beyond the United States, and it had “obtained a video of Brent Easterling interviewing with a Philippines-based cockfighting channel BNTV talking about his fighting birds and marketing them to worldwide audiences,” according to an AWA press release.