A jury trial for a Harrah man facing more than 80 charges for operating an illegal cockfighting operation has been scheduled for next month.
Justin James McHone, 38 at the time, was arrested and transported to the Lincoln County Jail in Chandler in January of 2020 after law enforcement officers discovered an illegal cockfighting operation in Lincoln County.
Last week, District Judge Cindy Ashwood set his case for the jury trial call docket at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 4. She set his trial for 9 a.m. Feb. 7.
All charges filed against Tara Kay Gentry, then 42, also of Harrah, in connection with the case filed nearly two years ago have been dismissed.
Court records show that on March 25, 2021 the state dismissed all the charges against Gentry.
The pair was arrested as law enforcement officers from several agencies were executing a search warrant.
On Jan. 22, 2020, formal charges were filed in Lincoln County District Court in Chandler.
Each was charged with instigating/encouraging cockfight; keeping place/ equipment/facility for cockfighting; and own/ possess/keep/ train bird for fighting.
On March 4, 2020 an amended information was filed and they each faced an additional 85 charges of own/possess/keep/ train bird for fighting.
That increased the total 88 to felony charges each faced. In March of 2021,
In March of 2021, McHone waived his preliminary hearing, court records show.
On May 11, 2021,during his arraignment before Judge Ashwood, McHone pleaded not guilty. During the search of the
During the search of the property for stolen items, deputies along with investigators noticed approximately 60 Game fowl most commonly known as “Fighting Cocks.”
The Game fowl were in a fenced area with individual housing and were tethered to the housing, officers reported. Continuing their search of the property, investigators found an arena in a barn that had indications of what appeared to be dried blood on the walls.