Prosecutor defends FBI help in cockfighting raid

Jenkins told The Knoxville News Sentinel this week that with the scourge of methamphetamine in East Tennessee and fears over terrorism, “we don’t need to be diverting FBI agents to the investigation and prosecuting for a thing like cockfighting.”

“I was both surprised and disappointed by Congressman Jenkins’ criticism of the FBI participating with state authorities in the cockfight raid this past weekend,” District Attorney Al Schmutzer said Thursday.

“I’m not aware that their participation in this raid in any way hampered their efforts in fighting terrorism or drugs in our area,” he said.

The raid near Newport, part of Jenkins’ district, netted 144 arrests, more than $40,000 in cash and more than 300 roosters.

Cockfighting is a misdemeanor under Tennessee law, and Jenkins voted in October against making it a federal felony.

But Schmutzer said he has been “advised by the U.S. attorney’s office that interstate and organized cockfighting should be considered a multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise frequently associated with other felonious activities such as gambling.”

That raises the stakes, the prosecutor said, noting federal charges for organized gambling that would carry stiffer penalties are being considered in the cockfight raid.

“The fact that we must deal with terrorism and methamphetamine doesn’t mean that we should ignore other criminal activity,” Schmutzer said. “Whether it’s drugs, terrorism or organized gambling we can accomplish much more when law enforcement agencies work together, and the FBI have been good in that regard.”