VIDALIA — A Ferriday man is set to stand trial June 17 on charges of drug possession and distribution and dogfighting and animal cruelty, officials said.

Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Jamel Green on drug charges on Nov. 29, 2017, and said they found several dogs with heavy chains and dogfighting equipment on his property and also charged him with dogfighting and cruelty to animals.

Concordia Parish 7th Judicial District Attorney Brad Burget said Green has a pretrial hearing today on some defense motions in advance of the June 17 trial.

“He is facing three counts of distribution of methamphetamines,” Burget said, “and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamines and then two different animal charges … cruelty to animals, dogs in particular, and also a dogfighting charge.”

Burget said Green was a suspect in a drug case and when officials served a search warrant on his house where they found a large amount of methamphetamine, guns and dogs that bore the scars of dogfighting on his property.

Burget said each count of drug distribution carries between 2 and 30 years upon conviction and the dogfighting charge carries 5 to 10 years, so Green is looking at a maximum of 130 years or more if convicted on all charges.

“The real teeth is the drugs,” Burget said.

The dogfighting, however, also is a felony in Louisiana, Burget said, adding that people don’t have to be caught in the middle of a dogfight to be charged with dogfighting in Louisiana.

“Possession of dogs that have the scars and wounds of dogfighting and the equipment of dogfighting can carry a dogfighting charge,” Burget said. “The dogs exhibited the scars and the wear and tear and had chains around their necks and there was a treadmill and different types of things used for dogfighting.”