Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 54-year-old Edward “Boo” Bishop of Buffalo was sentenced to the maximum 1 and 1/3 to 4 years in prison on dog fighting charges by Erie County Court Judge Thomas Franczyk.

Judge Franczyk also issued an order preventing Bishop from owning, harboring or having custody or control of any animal for ten years.  The judge also required an inspection of any home where Bishop resides or owns for the ten years following his prison term.

On January 11, 2016, Bishop was found guilty of felony Animal Fighting, after a non-jury trial in Erie County Court.

On April 25, 2014, Buffalo Police Officers and Agents for the Erie County SPCA executed a search warrant at Bishop’s home after receiving a tip from a confidential informant that Bishop was training pit bulls for dogfighting.  Seven pit bull dogs, with varying degrees of scarring were located. Animal fighting paraphernalia and dogfighting literature including a training manual for dogfighting were recovered in Bishop’s home.

This is not Bishop’s first dogfighting conviction. In 2010, Bishop pleaded guilty in Federal Court to Sponsoring an Animal in an Animal Fighting venture.

Acting DA Flaherty offered special credit to Detective Kevin Biggs of the Buffalo Police Department.  “There are not many crimes more revolting than those involving the senseless cruelty to animals,” says Acting DA Flaherty.  “I am grateful for the work of the Buffalo Police Department and the SPCA in bringing the defendant to justice.”

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Nathanael C. Kapperman who is assigned to the Felony Trials Bureau and Justin T. Wallens, Chief of the Animal Cruelty Unit which was newly formed this year under Acting DA Flaherty.