Nine months after authorities broke up a dog fighting ring in the Quad Cities, the suspected participants have been arrested and made their first court appearances.
The US Attorney's office says 10 men are charged with conspiracy to sponsor and participate in a dog fighting operation, and related charges, after indictments were returned last week. Nine are from Rock Island, and one from Davenport.
More than 60 dogs were seized last April, and most have been forfeited to the government.
According to the indictments, the defendants bought, sold, trained, and organized fights beginning in 2011, until last spring.
