BREAKING NEWS! On October 13th, 2016, ARM, along with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office, law enforcement agencies and Animal Control, simultaneously raided three illegal animal slaughter farms in Palm Beach. This raid was a result of six months of intensive undercover investigations conducted by ARM. In total, eight criminal animal killers were arrested and faced their sentences in court. Monieram Rathibhan, owner and operator of Medina illegal animal slaughter farm, was the final criminal to meet the wrath of over three decades of illegal and inhumane activity.

On August 17th, 2016, Rathibhan (56), pled guilty to five charges of animal cruelty. Three of these charges were classified as felony charges. Circuit Judge Krista Marx sentenced Rathibhan to 90 days of jail time followed by three years of strict probation including the condition that he must never again possess farm animals of any kind, including horses, and shall never participate in any animal slaughtering operations. The Agricultural Crimes Unit will also be conducting random property inspections of his residence to ensure that Rathiban is not violating any sentencing terms. If Rathibhan does violate these conditions, he will be re-sentenced and can face up to 25 years in prison.

Rathibhan’s sentencing concludes ARM’s Palm Beach County investigations. Whilst the sentences were on the lesser side of what ARM was aiming for, the conditions of probation have been extremely impressive and are setting strong examples that these kinds of operations will not be tolerated by the judicial system.

History making legislature also resulted in the Palm Beach County cases, in particular with State/ARM v’s Garcia where ARM won a case of audio and visual suppression by the defendant. Rathibhan’s case also sets the precedence as the first time in the State of Florida that a guilty plea was made and jail time is being served for killing cattle for human consumption in a slaughterhouse setting.

Learn more by clicking here about the in-depth details of ARM’s investigation on Median Farms.