Man sentenced in Dublin federal court on dogfighting charges

A Wilcox County man was sentenced this week in Dublin on federal charges of possessing dozens of dogs for animal fighting in Johnson and Crawford counties.

U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen sentenced Bernard Wallace, 54, of Rochelle, to 37 months in prison and a $4,000 fine, after pleading guilty to 40 counts of possessing a dog for the purposes of an animal fighting venture. His prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.

  Wallace kept the dogs tied or chained to trees, barrels and other objects, and without access to food and water, authorities said.

Court documents and testimony showed the investigation into Wallace began in Crawford County in September 2022, after the sheriff’s office there received multiple reports of animal cruelty in Knoxville, Georgia. Deputies found Wallace with 35 dogs chained up without access to food and water. Most were malnourished and did not have adequate shelter.

Two years later, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office began receiving similar complaints reporting animal cruelty on a property in Wrightsville. Investigators determined that Wallace was the property’s owner and connected him to earlier reports in Crawford County.

Authorities called in the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist. The investigation revealed that Wallace possessed multiple dogs tied to trees and barrels who lacked proper access to food and water, and that Wallace was using Facebook to sell the animals.

In December 2024, the Inspector General’s office, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and Johnson County sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant on the Wrightsville property. They found dogs housed “in conditions that fostered aggression,” chaining them to objects that limited movement. Wallace was also found in possession of equipment to breed the dogs and train them to fight.

“Thanks to the diligent, collaborative efforts of our local and federal law enforcement partners, this defendant’s operation has been permanently dismantled,” Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, said in a news release. “We remain deeply committed to prosecuting animal fighting ventures and protecting the community from those who foster violence and neglect.”

This case was investigated by multiple agencies – the FBI, USDA Office of Inspector General, U.S. Marshals Service, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Crawford County Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control.

“Dogfighting is violent and inhumane, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture OIG will continue to pursue those who commit this heinous crime,” USDA Inspector General John Walk said in the release.  “I commend our USDA OIG special agents, the U.S. Attorney’s office, and law enforcement partners who brought this defendant to justice and rescued 40 dogs from ongoing cruelty.”