Manfid Duran, 50, of Plumstead Township, (Credit: Bucks County DA)
A Plumstead Township man was sentenced last week to a maximum of 12 years in state prison following two guilty pleas for running a large-scale cockfighting ring and possessing cocaine with a street value of $400,000.
Manfid Duran, 50, of the 1000 block of North Easton Road, was sentenced by Bucks County Common Pleas President Judge Raymond F. McHugh to five to 10 years in prison for the drug case, and, in a consecutive sentence, he received an additional 8 to 24 months in state prison for his involvement in the animal fighting operation, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Duran pleaded guilty in March to charges of possession with intent to deliver four kilograms of cocaine, possession of a controlled substance, and criminal use of a communication facility, per court documents.
In the cockfighting case, he pleaded guilty to 50 counts of animal fighting and 54 counts of neglect of animals, authorities said.
The drug investigation began in March 2023 when members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force initiated an inquiry in Plumstead Township. An undercover law enforcement officer successfully negotiated the purchase of bulk quantities of cocaine from Duran via cellular telephone, police said.
On March 15, 2023, a search warrant executed at Duran's residence at 1031 N. Easton Road led to the discovery of about four kilograms of cocaine in a detached garage, with an estimated street value of $400,000, according to the Bucks County DA.
The cockfighting investigation unfolded on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, when the Plumstead Township Police Department received a report of a possible cockfighting ring at the same North Easton Road property.
Upon arrival, officers observed numerous vehicles and heard roosters. During the investigation, Plumstead Township Police Corporal Jeffrey Moffett heard numerous roosters and observed several in cages in a detached garage.
Through the open door, he observed a boxed-in pit with two roosters actively fighting, as well as at least one deceased rooster in the corner and 20 males standing around the pit, police said.
When asked for identification, the group fled in various directions. A search warrant was subsequently executed at the property, which was rented by Duran, investigators said.
Inside the detached garage/barn, law enforcement found extensive evidence of animal fighting. This included a plywood fighting ring with feathers, footprints, and dark red bloodstains, police said.
Other items recovered included a notebook with names and scores, a scale, colored zip ties, empty bottles of performance-enhancing vitamins for fighting roosters, bolt cutters, and other items.
Blood drops were observed on the floor, police said, and officers found a bloodied rooster in severe distress, unable to right itself.
Outside, in a field, a barrel contained burned material and the bodies of two large deceased and bloodied roosters and two bantam-type roosters, with a clear trail of blood leading from the garage to the barrel in the snow, according to police.
Investigators also discovered an apartment within the garage that served as a training ground for the roosters, containing a plywood box with individual slots holding roosters, and a kitchen area with spools of waxed thread, a black zippered case with leather leg cuffs, "Rooster Viper" (an injectable game-fowl enhancing drug), plastic tape, surgical sheets, cardboard rectangles with multiple knife spurs, and a backpack containing a wooden box with nearly two dozen knife-spurs, a brass spur scale, and a hand saw with a blood-stained blade, police said.
The conditions of the birds on the property were dire, with no access to unfrozen water and empty food cups, per investigators. Birds in boxes had no food or water and many cages lacked adequate protection from the weather, police said.
The Bucks County SPCA removed 49 birds including roosters from the property. The injured rooster later died, according to investigators. Two other roosters were also treated for injuries at a veterinary clinic.
The Bucks County DA said these cases highlight the tireless efforts of law enforcement and animal welfare agencies.
The drug case was investigated by the Bucks County Detectives Drug Strike Force and Pennsylvania State Police, and the animal fighting case was investigated by the Plumstead Township Police Department and the Bucks County SPCA. Deputy District Attorney Thomas C. Gannon prosecuted these cases.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
