Charges updated to 50 counts of felony dog fighting for Tommie Queen

Published 10:17 am Thursday, November 9, 2017

NATCHEZ — Charges for Tommie Queen have been updated to 50 counts of felony dog fighting, Major Jerry Brown said Thursday morning.

“This is major and it’s being treated as such,” Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said.

Despite rampant rumors that Queen, 31, has been released, Patten said he is still being held at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

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Queen was previously charged with one count of cruelty to animals and one count of receiving stolen property, but that charge was updated Thursday as more evidence was collected by the sheriff’s office.

Queen faces up to a $5,000 bond and imprisonment up to a year on a felony dog fighting charge.

The charge of receiving stolen property can incur up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Judge Patricia Dunmore has not yet set a bond for Queen.

“We appreciate her for taking the time to look at this matter thoroughly,” Patten said.

The ASPCA arrived on the property Thursday morning where more than 56 dogs were found Monday in what is suspected to be a dog fighting operation and breeding ground.

The ASPCA is currently loading the animals into an 18-wheeler and will take them to a safe, undisclosed location outside of the state.

A GoFundMe account set up by the sheriff’s office to benefit the animals has garnered more than $24,000 as of Thursday morning.