A dog owner was found guilty today of dog-fighting charges and faces up to five years in prison at his Jan. 7 sentencing, Hillsborough County Animal Services said.
Maurice Bayless, 49, of Tampa, was found guilty on one count of felony animal cruelty, two felony counts of possession of steroids and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, animal services said.
Bayless and his girlfriend, Celena Brantley, 36, of Tampa, were arrested in April 2008 after inspectors with animal services and Tampa police detectives discovered 18 pit bull terriers, three scarred with dog bites, and what they said was dog-fighting paraphernalia.
Last year, Brantley was convicted of five felony charges related to dog fighting. She was convicted of one count of owning equipment for dog fighting; three counts of owning or possessing a dog for fighting for the three battle-scarred dogs; and one count of promoting a dog baiting.
When Bayless was arrested, he had a tattoo on his right arm that said "GOING HARD DOGS FIGHTING."
Journals taken from the house at the time of the 2008 arrest showed Bayless called his operation Going Hard Kennels.
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