Cross-posted from the Shelbyville Gazette
Written by BRIAN MOSLEY
A 34-count superseding indictment was returned by a federal grand jury Tuesday against three people already accused of soring horses, with a fourth person also now charged.
Paul Blackburn, 35, of Shelbyville was indicted Tuesday along with Barney Davis, 38, of Lewisburg, Christen Altman, 25, of Shelbyville, and Jeffery Bradford, 33, of Lewisburg.
Altman, Davis and Bradford were indicted by a federal grand jury in March for soring horses and are currently free on no bond.
According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the new indictments charge the four with additional violations of the federal Horse Protection Act “and related financial crimes.”
Davis and Altman have also been charged with 13 counts of wire fraud, one count of wire fraud conspiracy and 12 counts of money laundering.
Authorities alleged that as part of Davis’s horse training operation, he and Altman collected payments from out-of-state clients based upon false representations that horses would be trained in accordance with the Horse Protection Act.
Davis and Altman then allegedly used the funds to perpetuate the horse training operation, using methods specifically prohibited by the Horse Protection Act, “including mechanical and chemical soring procedures,” Public Information Officer Sharry Dedman-Beard said.
Federal prosecutors are also seeking asset forfeiture in this case from Davis and Altman. Continue reading >>
Learn more about Horse Soring on our website.
