SUPERIOR COURT
A Jones County man arrested in a May on charges of drug possession and dogfighting was indicted last week on the offenses by a grand jury.
Dan Thomas Cleveland Jr. was indicted June 6 on charges of possession marijuana with intent to distribute, theft by receiving stolen property, seven counts of dog fighting, and five counts of the possession a firearm by convicted felon.
Cleveland, 44, was arrested May 19 by the Jones County Sheriff’s Office. According to a story in The Jones County News, JCSO Investigator Barron Hall said the investigation of Cleveland’s drug activity by the Jones County Drug Unit and Criminal Investigations Division began around the first of May, pursuant to an ongoing investigation.
Hall said he received information that Cleveland was selling narcotics and he followed up the information with a search warrant of the home off Joycliff Terrace. He said the warrant was executed, and several large vacuumed-sealed bags of marijuana were found.
The investigator said Cleveland was known to be a convicted felon, and several firearms were also found in the home. He said one of those guns had been reported stolen in a 2020 Jones County entering autos case.
The amount of marijuana found was estimated at seven pounds, and the number of firearms found in the home was five.
Hall said, while they were searching the house, indicators were found of dogfighting. He said they found mounds of veterinary medications, supplements, weighted vests and saline bags. Treadmills and training sticks were found in a shed in the back.
He said dogs were found in the backyard, held by weighted chains.
The investigators said the dogs had tattoos and old scars. He said there were seven adult dogs and two litters of puppies.
Jones County Animal Services assisted with picking up the dogs, and investigators spent most of the day at the residence collecting evidence.
Hall said, when asked about dogfighting, Cleveland denied it.
