WASHINGTON — A Maryland man accused of leading a dogfighting ring in Maryland and D.C. and running a major stolen credit card scheme has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Rodriguez Rodney Lomax Norman, 31, was “fully immersed in the world of dogfighting” and bred, trained and used the dogs in organized fights in which they suffered severe bites and gashes, federal prosecutors said in a statement Friday.
Norman was sentenced to a year in prison on the dogfighting charge and nine years on bank and wire fraud charges stemming from the credit card scheme.
He pleaded guilty in December. He had faced more than 40 years in prison.
Last August, the FBI raided two properties Norman owned, in Prince George’s County and in Southeast D.C.
Investigators said they found more than a dozen dogs and a fighting ring with traces of animal blood. In addition, investigators uncovered heavy dog chains, shock collars and a noose-like contraption that authorities said was used to hang dogs from their necks to help build muscle
In the credit card scheme, prosecutors said, Norman and 11 others purchased thousands of stolen credit card and debit card numbers, embedded them onto fraudulent cards and then used the bogus cards to buy gift cards and cartons of cigarettes.
Prosecutors said Norman was the ringleader of the scheme, which netted hundreds of thousands of dollars over more than two years.
The 11 other people involved in the scam have also pleaded guilty and been sentenced, prosecutors said.
