Leonardtown, Maryland – State’s Attorney Richard D. Fritz announces that on July 7, 2022, Damien Terrell Wilson was convicted of five felony counts of Dog Fighting, and fourteen misdemeanor counts related to dog fighting activities.
The State’s Attorney’s Office filed these charges after ten Pit Bulls and one Rottweiler was rescued from a deplorable makeshift dog camp in Chaptico, MD. The dogs were kept in an isolated area, difficult to reach that Wilson accessed several times per week in a clandestine manner.
The dogs were found in various states of health due to being of different ages and at various stages of training. Five were assessed to have significant scarring, which is professionally required to have 10 or more scars. Not only were the animals rescued, but items used in dogfighting were seized so they may not be used again by him or others for use in dogfighting or training activities.
Wilson is facing a possible sentence of 18 years, 6 months. His attorney requested a Pre-Sentence Investigation. He will be sentenced when the investigation is complete.
Mr. Fritz would like to thank Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Caspar for the successful prosecution of this case. Mr. Fritz would also like to thank Joy Wilson of Animal Control, who secured the assistance of nationally known dogfighting expert Amy Taylor. Ms. Taylor provided recommendations from the date of the seizure up to and including her testimony.
Leonardtown, MD- State’s Attorney Richard Fritz announces that on August 12, 2021, Damien Terrell Wilson was served a Criminal Information charging him with 47 counts of Animal Cruelty.
On February 10, 2021, St. Mary’s County deputies were tipped off to the location of a suspected dogfighting arena located on a SMECO power line cut-through. With Animal Control, they responded to the location where evidence of dogfighting was located.
Numerous items of paraphernalia associated with dogfighting were located. Eleven dogs were rescued. All eleven dogs underwent behavioral evaluations. Three were found so overtly aggressive that rehabilitation was deemed too dangerous, and they were euthanized.
Assistant State’s Attorney Laura Caspar has been assigned to prosecute the case.