By Beth Alston

AMERICUS — Two more suspects in a dog fighting ring busted in Sumter County recently have been arrested.
Starlin N. Morgan, 36, of 1400 U.S. Highway 280 West, Plains, turned himself in to authorities on Friday, and Orlando C. Johnson, 31, of 119 Town Creek Circle, Americus, did the same on Monday. Both are charged with dogfighting and related charges. They were both released on bond.
These latest arrests are relative to the arrests of eight other individuals during the weekend of Jan. 21-22 when the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, along with the USDA and Lee County Sheriff’s Office conducted a raid of a dog fighting ring at 340 Sam Hill Dogleg Road, Leslie.
When the search warrant was served on the property of Chester and Narcissus Pitts, authorities found a 15’ x 15’ carpeted pit on top of plywood. Three men and two dogs were in the pit. Capt. Ralph Stuart of the Sumter County Sheriff Office’s investigative division said the second dog fight was in progress at the time. Both of those dogs were rescued and one was taken to a local veterinary hospital where it was “battling for its life.” In the first fight, he said, the winner’s owner won money while the losing dog was hanged.
Seized in that raid were $18,000 in cash, eight vehicles, multiple firearms, dog fighting paraphernalia and the three pit bulldogs.
The six people arrested at the scene were Kevin Charles, 41, of Jackson; Samuel B. Cutts, 21, of Douglas; Terry Driggers, 67, of Hoboken, Ga.; Maurice Glover, 44, of Douglas; Shadon D. Johnson, 33, of Fitzgerald; and Alonza B. Jordan, 44, of 118 Southland Subdivision, Americus. They are all charged with dog fighting and related conduct.
Two others, Leslie Nichole Graham, 38, of Jacksonville, Ga.; and Demetrice L. King, 37, of Fitzgerald, were arrested in a traffic stop the following day. They are each charged with false statement or writings, concealment of facts or fraudulent documents in matters of government.