A federal grand jury has charged several individuals with conspiring to violate the Animal Welfare Act and operating an illegal gambling business. U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona announced the charges, which are detailed in a two-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court.
The defendants include James Shawn Murphree, 48, Denny Gonzalez-Guzman, 30, Kasten Finis Murphree, 22, Kelby Shawn Murphree, 27, and Kimberly Ann Evans, 48. They are accused of organizing cockfighting derbies in Blountsville, Alabama.
Cockfighting involves roosters fighting each other under supervision until one is incapacitated or killed. These events often use weapons attached to the roosters’ legs and attract spectators who gamble on the outcomes. The owners of winning roosters can gain financially from wagers or increased value of their birds.
Between March and June 2025, Evans and the Murphrees allegedly organized these events where attendees paid $40 for entry and competitors paid between $700 and $1,000 to enter their roosters into the contests. Winners received a share of the prize pool.
The investigation was conducted by the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force alongside other agencies including Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Hundscheid and Jonathan S. Cross will prosecute the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations while protecting communities from violent crime perpetrators.
It is important to note that an indictment consists only of charges; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
