Minneapolis man pleads guilty to cockfighting charges

A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty to cockfighting charges, months after launching a legal fight to win back more than a dozen chickens seized by the city.

Cheng Lor will serve nine days of community service and two years of probation under a plea deal with prosecutors for possessing fighting chickens.

Police discovered the domesticated fowls, several of which were dead, during a January search of his north Minneapolis house spurred by unrelated allegations that Lor had been dealing marijuana.

One dead rooster was found with duct tape on its rounded leg spurs, which city animal control officials said is sometimes used to attach blades during cockfighting. The live roosters also had rounded spurs and scars on their heads.

In the basement, officers found a bloody suitcase outfitted with air holes and chicken wire, a blood-specked carpet, a glue gun and extra feathers.

The city impounded 15 live birds and four dead ones. Authorities euthanized one of the live birds for medical reasons, said city spokesman Matt Lindstrom. The rest were transferred to rescue shelters.

Lor filed a petition to retrieve the animals from the city's animal shelter this spring, before cockfighting charges were filed in Hennepin County.

Lor, 34, initially said he and his son owned the chickens as a hobby and for food, police Sgt. Lindsay Herron wrote in a January police report submitted to the court.

Lor told authorities the dead roosters had escaped pens and fought while he was away.

Lor's attorney, Casey Rundquist, said his client admitted to selling chickens with knowledge that some would be used for fighting, based on their breed. Rundquist added there was no evidence his client had direct involvement in running, participating in or making money from cockfighting matches, however.

"The basis of the plea was that by selling these roosters with knowledge they would be used in fighting or used for future breeding for fighting birds, that was sufficient knowledge or intent to be within the parameters of the [cockfighting] statute," Rundquist said.

For his guilty plea, Lor was sentenced to 10 days in the Hennepin County Workhouse, which was stayed for nine days of community service. He is not allowed to own or possess live chickens. Successful completion of the probation will reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor.

Before his guilty plea, Lor had tried to get evidence stemming from the raid tossed out, saying that the drug-related search warrant did not give police probable cause to look for other infractions.

Eric Roper • 612-673-1732