Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned four separate indictments on September 10, 2026, charging five men for breeding and raising roosters for cockfighting on farms in and around Bowling Green, Kentucky. One of the men faces an additional charge for possession of a firearm with its serial number removed.

U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Inspector General John Walk of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement.

According to court documents, Christopher Copas, 53, and James Holland, 57, of Bowling Green, and Don Ray “Donnie” Haley, 60, of Elkton, were each charged for possessing roosters for the purpose of having them participate in an animal fighting venture, i.e. cockfighting. Ramon Escamilla, 65, who divides time between Bowling Green and Mexico, and his son Eric Escamilla, 36, of Bowling Green, were charged together for conspiracy to commit the same offense. Specifically, the indictments allege that each of the defendants carried out rooster-breeding operations on their respective farms, for the purpose of breeding, raising, training, and selling roosters to participate in cockfighting. Christopher Copas was further charged for possession of a firearm from which the serial number had been removed.

All five defendants are scheduled to make initial appearances on September 23, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Bowling Green. If convicted, each defendant could face a maximum of up to five years in prison for charges related to cockfighting. Christopher Copas, if convicted for the separate firearm offense, could face an additional five-year maximum prison sentence. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by FBI Bowling Green Resident Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General with assistance from HSI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, Kentucky State Police, Elkton Police Dept., Todd County Sheriff's Office, and Warren County Sheriff's Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne E. Keel is prosecuting the case.

These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Louisville comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.