Massachusetts Man Charged in Massive Dogfighting And Gambling Ring

• Federal case links dogfighting operation to organized illegal gambling activity
• Investigators uncover years of fight planning, betting and coordination
• Searches reveal dogs, equipment and alleged evidence of cruelty

Federal investigators say an underground gambling network built around dogfighting operated for years in southeastern Massachusetts, with the ringleaders accused of shocking animal cruelty.

Corey Elliott, 49, of Carver, Mass., was arrested this week and charged with conspiracy to participate in an animal fighting venture, according to the US Attorney’s Office for Massachusetts.

According to the federal complaint affidavit, Elliott and co-conspirator, John Murphy of Hanson, Mass., were in frequent contact over several years.

Bodies Thrown into Harbor

The two men regularly discussed placing wagers, tracking fight results, and coordinating which dogs would be used in specific matchups, which prosecutors argue reflected a structured, profit-driven enterprise. They also discussed how to dispose of the dogs’ bodies.

“I just throw them [dead dogs] into the Boston Harbor now. When I’m at work, I just put them in the trash back and heave-ho, heave-ho them into the river,” Elliot said in November 2020.

Earlier, in August 2018, Elliot told Murphy, “[This dog] is going to be dead soon. I f*cking hate this dog…then when you go out there and whack her, she screams. Like she’s f*cking being killed. So, then I went outside with a stick and cracked the f*ck out of her.”

In June 2023, authorities searched Murphy’s home and recovered dogs along with equipment commonly associated with dogfighting. They also seized a phone containing videos of fights and communications spanning years, which prosecutors say included discussions of wagers and outcomes.

Fighting Scars

A later search of Elliott’s Carver property in June 2025 turned up more evidence, according to the affidavit. Agents found multiple pit bull-type dogs, some with scarring consistent with fighting, as well as training equipment, veterinary supplies, and pedigrees.

Investigators allege that Elliott played an active role in hosting and organizing events, including at his own residence.

Murphy pleaded guilty last year to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture and was sentenced one year and one month in prison. Federal officials described that case as the first of its kind brought in Massachusetts.

Elliott faces a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, along with potential fines of up to $250,000.