Two Men Charged In Finch Fighting Ring Deported
Elito Goulart, of Bridgeport, charged in July's finch fighting ring gets deported to Brazil.
Busted, charged and off to Brazil. Immigration officials have deported two of 19 people who were nabbed by police during a July raid. It was then when officers broke up an alleged bird-fighting operation in Shelton.
Connecticut prosecutors say 47-year-old Elito Goulart of Bridgeport and 25 year-old Lucas Dos Santos of Newark, N.J. will now be sent back to their native Brazil. According to the associated press, they and the other defendants are all from that country.
Officials dropped charges of animal cruelty and gambling against the two men on Tuesday in Derby Superior Court.
The 19 Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Jersey residents were arrested after a July 26 raid at a Shelton home that led to the seizure of 150 birds, mostly saffron finches and canaries.
Most of the other defendants are in a probation program.
Copyright Associated Press / NBC Connecticut
Posted Friday, Nov 27, 2009 - 11:39 AM EST
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