Hempstead man gets prison time, lifetime animal ban for dogfighting & selling fentanyl
Prosecutors said 39-year-old Kevin Brown had more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded handgun and seven pit bulls kept in conditions consistent with a dogfighting operation.
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A Hempstead man was sentenced Tuesday to 7 1/2 years in prison, five years of post-release supervision and a lifetime ban on owning animals after pleading guilty to drug, weapons and animal cruelty charges.
Prosecutors said 39-year-old Kevin Brown had more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, a loaded handgun and seven pit bulls kept in conditions consistent with a dogfighting operation.
Investigators say they found five male and two female dogs in dirty wooden crates, with six tethered by heavy chains and collars and no visible food or water.
Detectives also recovered a spring pole, modified treadmill and other dogfighting-related equipment.
All seven dogs had scars on their bodies and muzzles, and the female dogs showed signs of prior breeding.
The dogs have since been rehomed.
The drug case stemmed from a Nassau County overdose investigation in September 2024. After months of surveillance, authorities observed Brown sell narcotics on three occasions in October 2024.
A search warrant executed two months later led to the seizure of 1,053 pills, with 771 testing positive for fentanyl. Police also recovered 84 additional pills - with 47 testing positive for fentanyl.
Authorities recovered 10 hydrocodone pills, a bag containing ketamine, a loaded 9 mm Smith & Wesson handgun with eight rounds and an additional magazine loaded with eight rounds.
