Three Florida men face federal prison time after a grand jury indicted them for allegedly owning dogs for dog fighting organizations and carrying illegal weapons. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the accusations against Anthony Crosby, 42, of Keystone Heights, Leroy Halbert, 53, of Lake Butler, and a third co-defendant, Geer.
Federal prosecutors say the inquiry began on December 10, 2025, when all three men allegedly possessed at least three canines for dogfighting purposes. On the same day, authorities discovered firearms in the possession of Crosby and Geer, both of whom had prior convictions.
The arrests occurred during the past two weeks. Geer was taken into jail on May 20, 2026, and a judge ordered him kept without bail until his trial, which is scheduled for July 2026. Crosby and Halbert were captured a few days later, on May 29, 2026.
All three defendants face serious legal consequences. Geer and Crosby face a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for their combined animal fighting and firearms offenses. Halbert faces a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison.
The investigation was undertaken by a multi-agency task force that included personnel from the US Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Union County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro is handling the case.
According to federal legal principles, an indictment is just a formal allegation that a person has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is deemed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
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