“The sentencing in the Rancho Garcia case was ground breaking and set first time case law in the state of Florida. For this, ARM as an animal defense & welfare organization, is grateful to all parties whom contributed to the successful closure of this case. “

-Richard Couto

On March 26th, 2016, Jorge Garcia, owner and mastermind behind the illegal animal slaughter house ‘Rancho Garcia’,was served his final sentencing at the Palm Beach County Courthouse. This lead to a grand victory for ARM and its tireless efforts to ensure maximum jail time and a harsher penalty for these crimes then he had previously been handed.

The sentence followed last months trial where a panel of jurors found Garcia guilty on all four counts of animal cruelty charges after viewing ARM’s undercover footage of its six months investigations. The jury also listened tentatively to testaments from veterinarians and agents, who stated their expert opinions and personal accounts of the cruelty that hundreds of animals encountered at the hands of Garcia and his employees.

Garcia has been incarcerated in the county jail since the verdict. Click here to learn more about this investigation.

The honorable Judge, Samantha Schosberg Feuer, listened to the final witness statements of ARM’s Founder / Investigator Richard Couto and Palm Beach County’s seasoned animal cruelty investigator, Jen Batchelor as they expressed their request for maximum sentence to Garcia for the torture and abuse he had handed countless animals over the past 20 years. Ms Batchelor begged the judge to serve what was fitting after the numerous calls and complaints she had received on the Garcia property over her tenure time with ACC. Richard Couto stated that :

“The violence that ARM witnessed during our undercover investigations was difficult for even my most seasoned investigators. what we saw… the way Garcia treated the animals with such disrespect, even enjoying the torture (of the animals) as they butchered them shocked us all to our core. Animals were eating off of each other, they were emaciated and deathly sick….”

Defense Attorney, Andrew Stine then called upon his sole witness, Nestor Garcia, who stated he had been to the farm multiple times and seen nothing but the animals treated the same way as he does. Alarmingly he admitted that the method in which Garcia was killing his animals was the same as he himself killed animals. Instantly putting the entire courtroom and judge on edge. He even stated that :

“I was waiting for ARM to come and knock on my door.”

After a brief recess, the judge returned to execute her final decision .She stated that the conditions on the farm were deplorable and other animals besides the ones displayed in evidence for the jury, were tortured and brutalized as well. Prior to her penalty decision, she stated:

“I have thought a lot about second chances, but in this case I dont believe that you (Garcia) can ever be rehabilitated because you see nothing wrong with what your doing, despite the fact Garcia has already had his second chance yet went straight back to what he was doing. … It is time that you (Garcia) starts taking responsibility for your actions”.

Judge Schosberg Feuer also referred to the defendants witness and his closing statement, stating that:

“With the testimony or not about slaughter (Nestor Garcias closing statement), it doesn’t mean it is legal… Animals can’t report their pain and feelings through verbal communications…..the farm was in deplorable conditions and the animals lived in squalor “

The judge then sentenced animal killer Jorge Garcia to 365 days in jail with no eligibility of house arrest. Once out of jail, he will not be allowed ownership of animals, cannot slaughter animals, reside with anyone who has animals or literally have any interaction, contact or involvement with any species of animal including his own dog. The judge also ordered that Garcia take a mandatory 10 hour training course of the humane treatment of animals. Garcia will not be allowed to carry or posses firearms and will receive random inspections from law enforcement.

Garcia remained emotionless throughout the Judges closing, even after their was an outburst in the courtroom of Garcia’s father who was sitting behind ARM in the courtroom. At the final reading Garcia’s father attempted to raise his walking cane to the back of Richard Couto’s head and had to be monitored by the court marshals.

The diligence of the State Attorneys was well observed throughout the trail and the innocent animals now received justice for their suffering.

ARM wishes to express it’s gratitude to State Attorney Judith Arco and Jo Wolinsky, the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office and to Animal Care and Control for working on this case! SA Judith Arco displayed composed emotion and dedication to the closing statements and stated that:

“The State is under no illusion that he (Garcia) wouldn’t go back and do what he’s been doing all his life, cause he sees nothing wrong with it. People don’t change like this”.

This is an example of what can come if you abuse, torture and kill animals in this manner, and is just the first case out of several from the illegal operations which were raided by ARM and Law enforcement in October 2015.

On July 26th, 2016, the case of Rathibum (Medina Slaughter Farm) is set to appear in court for his trail and conviction., Medina Farms was the second of the three illegal animal slaughter farms raided alongside Rancho Garcia.