At a glance

  • A federal judge sentenced Julius Deane Griffin, 44, to 210 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
  • The Justice Department says Griffin operated a dog fighting venture called West Camp from his Tulsa home.
  • Investigators seized 17 live dogs and found one dead dog during the search.
  • The live dogs were placed with outside caregivers and received immediate medical attention.
  • The sentence also covers an assault conviction and an evidence tampering conviction.

Julius Deane Griffin was sentenced August 26 to 210 months in federal prison, equal to 17.5 years, followed by three years of supervised release. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma says Griffin ran a dog fighting operation known as West Camp from his Tulsa home.

U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill imposed the sentence. Griffin will remain in custody while awaiting transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to the Justice Department.

Investigators found the operation through social media evidence

The federal investigation began in 2024 as a drug inquiry. A search warrant for Griffin's social media account led agents to evidence of dog fighting under the West Camp name, the Justice Department says.

Agents later searched Griffin's home. They seized 17 live pit bull type and other dogs and found one dead dog. The live dogs were transferred to outside caregivers for medical attention and recovery.

Fictional brindle dog resting on a blanket as a caregiver places a water bowl nearby
A fictional, non graphic recovery scene. It does not depict an animal from the federal case.

The conduct crossed state lines

Griffin admitted traveling between Oklahoma and Kansas to fight dogs and buying or selling dogs across several states, according to the sentencing release. The listed states include Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, Georgia, Arkansas and Pennsylvania.

The Justice Department also says a person under age 16 attended an animal fighting venture. Buddylio is omitting graphic evidence described at sentencing because it is not necessary to understand the judgment.

The case also involved assault and evidence tampering

The sentence covered more than animal fighting offenses. Griffin admitted assaulting a woman with a golf club in 2023. He also directed a friend to delete cloud data after his April 2025 arrest, according to federal prosecutors.

The sentencing release says Griffin had more than 21 prior convictions and a 2005 conviction connected with a separate dog fighting ring. Those records were part of the federal sentencing context.

Three fictional rescued dogs resting in separate areas of a simple outdoor foster yard
A fictional foster care scene illustrating recovery after seizure. It does not show the Tulsa dogs.

Who cared for the seized dogs

The U.S. Marshals Service National Seized Animal Program, Tulsa Animal Services and the Humane Society of Tulsa assisted with medical treatment and recovery. The release does not give an individual current placement or adoption status for each dog.

The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the Creek County Sheriff's Office and Tulsa Police.

Sources

On the sourcing: The sentence, convictions, investigation details and animal count come from the U.S. Attorney's Office. The secondary report relies on the same federal release and local reporting.

How we reported this: Buddylio reviewed the named sources, checked the organizations and figures shown above, and added context for animal lovers. Any illustration is labeled and does not depict the actual animals or scene. This report was checked on August 27, 2026. Griffin had been sentenced and remained in federal custody pending transfer. Articles are editorial content, not veterinary advice.