IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — Two Statesville men, Juelz Christopher Daniels, 19 and Reginald Lionel Goodson, Jr., 55, are facing federal charges for allegedly running a multi-state commercial dog breeding operation that bred and sold pit bulls for illegal dog fighting.
A federal indictment against the pair was unsealed Monday in the Western District of North Carolina, following their arrests last Thursday.
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The federal indictment charges Daniels and Goodson with one count of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act. Daniels also faces three counts for the possession, training and sale of fighting dogs and eight counts of violating the Animal Welfare Act, primarily for his possession, training and sale of fighting dogs and advertising them on Facebook.
Law enforcement executed search warrants at three residences, rescuing and seizing 25 pit bull-type dogs, including puppies, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Investigators also collected other items, tools and paraphernalia associated with breeding and training animals for dog fighting.
According to allegations in the indictment, Daniels and Goodson maintained properties where they bred, housed, and trained pit bull-type dogs for dog fights from January 2021 to May 2026.
They allegedly used training equipment such as treadmills, bite sticks, heavy metal chains, animal hides and “spring poles” or “flirt poles” to increase the animals’ strength and stamina, Ferguson said in a news release.
The defendants also allegedly trained and conditioned the dogs to fight and evaluated their capabilities and willingness to fight.
They are accused of operating one or more dog kennels, including “Hoodwoods Kennels,” for raising pit bull-type dogs for fighting.
The indictment further alleges that Daniels and Goodson selectively bred pit bull-type dogs for traits desirable in dog fighting, such as aggressiveness and a propensity to fight other dogs. This characteristic is often referred to as “gameness,” or a willingness to continue fighting despite traumatic or mortal injury.
Daniels routinely posted advertisements for the pit bull-type dogs on multiple Facebook Groups dedicated to illegal dog fighting and communicated with individuals via Facebook Messenger.
The defendants allegedly marketed and advertised on Facebook the dogs they bred and trained, discussing their victories, bloodlines and training, as well as details about price, purchase, transfer and delivery to interested buyers.
In these advertisements, Daniels allegedly touted the dogs’ fighting bloodlines, sometimes posting or providing links to pedigrees. These pedigrees claimed the dogs were offspring of “champions,” defined as dogs that had won three or more dog fights.
For example, in November 2025, Daniels allegedly posted a link in a Facebook Group to a pedigree with a picture of a black-colored young pit bull-type dog tethered in a chain spot, the U.S. attorney said.
The caption stated, “[y]ou will hear about him soon.” The pedigree listed “Hoodwoods” as the dog’s breeder and owner and included notations like “2XW,” “POR” and “ROM.”A “2XW” notation on a pedigree indicated the dog was a two-time winner. Dogs that produced multiple offspring that became champions were given the “Register of Merit” (ROM) or “Producer of Record” (POR) title, which allegedly drove the sales and pricing of fighting dogs.
Ferguson spoke out against the alleged crimes.
“It’s unbelievable people still engage in dog-fighting activities,” Ferguson said. “We are here to protect innocent animals from the abuse and suffering that comes with dog fighting.”
Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge, emphasized the broader impact of such investigations.
“When the FBI investigates illegal dog-fighting operations, we’re not just stopping cruelty, we are disrupting violent criminal networks that harm both people and animals,” Davis said.
Both defendants, Daniels and Goodson, are currently in federal custody. If convicted, Daniels and Goodson each face a potential sentence of up to five years in prison for the charge of conspiracy to violate the Animal Welfare Act.
Daniels also faces up to five years in prison for each count of possession and commerce of fighting dogs and for each count of advertising fighting animals through interstate commerce.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges against Daniels and Goodson are allegations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
To report animal fighting crimes, individuals can contact their local law enforcement or the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General complaint hotline at one-800-424-9121 or online.