7/7/2005
Media Contact:
Roger Rayl, 327-5765
rrayl@indygov.org |
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Drug Dealer/Animal Abuser Sentenced
INDIANAPOLIS—Clifton Withers received a 15-year sentence today for his guilty pleas to drug dealing and dog fighting charges. Marion Superior Court Judge William Young also placed Withers, 30, on probation for two years, and ordered substance abuse evaluation and treatment.
Withers had pled guilty to two counts of B felony dealing of cocaine, possession of a handgun without a license, possession of an animal fighting paraphernalia with an injured animal and a count of possession of animal fighting paraphernalia. The cases were all unrelated. The sentence was the maximum allowed under the plea agreement.
"Withers was kind to neither man nor beast," said Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi. "He sold cocaine to feed the addictions of others and to obtain money to finance his own drug addiction, and harbored dogs in order to engage in the cruel practice of having them fight."
Regarding the cocaine cases, Withers was originally charged when police found him to be in possession of large quantities of cocaine and cash in two separate incidents, one on March 13, 2004; the other on January 26, 2005. In the animal case, Withers was arrested by police October 6, 2004, following investigation of a property in the 3400 block of Faculty Drive that he used. According to court records, when officers used a search warrant to check the property, they found eight pit bulls, devices used to train dogs for fighting, dog-fighting videos and magazines and medication to treat wounded animals. The dogs had no food or water, and several bore scars, possibly from fighting.
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