Dog-fighting - 64 dogs seized in two counties Moraine, OH (US)Incident Date: Saturday, Mar 24, 2007 County: Montgomery
Charges: Felony CTA Disposition: Alleged
Alleged: » Larontay Gerald Bennett - Convicted » Jerry Lee Pounds » Jon Eric Pollard » Paul D. Pennington » Terry Kendrick - Convicted » Cornelius Burnett » Taquisha R. Kendrick - Convicted » Douglas MacArthur Blackwell - Convicted » Evelyn Kay Lillard - Convicted » Maurice Ferguson - Convicted » Marlon Anthony Rogers » Shawn L. Coleman » Paul James Abrams - Convicted » Antonio T. Winslow - Convicted » Kevin L. Dunlap - Convicted » Barrett Eugene Lynch - Convicted » LaCarlos M. Sally - Convicted » Antonio Sally - Convicted » Alfred Love - Convicted » Demetrius Thompson - Convicted » Shawn D. Matthews - Convicted » Ira D. Suber - Convicted » Terry Lynn Butler - Convicted » Joey Dennis - Convicted » Ernest Harris » Breonna Reliford-Suber » Demetrious L. Ruff » Olden Thomas Watson » Stephanie J. Cochran » Frank Curtis Gilbert - Dismissed (Conditional) » Darryl Eugene Jones » Marlin Terrell Mitchell » Thomas Brian Watson » Barry J. Parrish » Robert Steve Tootle - Convicted » Kevin McKee - Convicted » Christopher P. Bradner » Bennie Gartrell » Christopher L. Nunley - Convicted » Matthew D. Simmons - Convicted » Charles A. Duck » Tracey L. Dunlap » Rashawn Gill - Convicted » Vaudine Gordon - Dismissed (Conditional) » Melanie J. Jones » Lewis Verdial » Gary Moorefield » Jessie L. O'Neal - Convicted » Charles A. Roberson » Johnnell S. Smith » Bruce C. Williams
Case Updates: 17 update(s) available
A year-long investigation by 22 law enforcement agencies culminated March 24 with simultaneous raids on seven kennels and a warehouse where dogfights were about to be staged.
The Humane Society of the United States, along with a combined federal, state and local law enforcement team, raided kennels in Dayton, Trotwood and Cincinnati suspected of breeding and selling fighting dogs.
Sixty-four dogs were seized in the raids and two dozen suspects were arrested. Drugs, guns and money also were seized.
The dogs will be euthanized because they were bred to fight, even if they appear friendly, said John Goodwin, deputy manager of animal fighting issues for the Humane Society.
"It's heartbreaking. You have a female pit bull and she's wagging her tail and licking your hand, but she's missing part of her lower jaw because it's been torn off in a fight," Goodwin said. "This is a brutal and very cruel activity."
The seized animals were moved to temporary housing by Humane Society officials.
"Dog fighting is a barbaric and despicable act, and this organized network of animal fighters in southern Ohio was dealt a severe blow by this raid," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society.
Federal and state charges are expected to be announced Tuesday, said Fred Alverson, spokesman for the United States Attorney's Office in Columbus. Dog fighting is felony in Ohio, but the federal law for interstate dog fighting activities is only a misdemeanor - a law that Congress could strengthen as soon as this week.
The raids were led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Ohio Attorney General's office.
Case UpdatesUndercover agents counted 16 pit bulls in the basement of Terry Kendrick's College Hill home the first time they visited last year as part of an investigation into dog fighting.
When Kendrick's home was raided a few months later, they found just 13 dogs.
A Hamilton County prosecutor said today it's no mystery what happened to the missing pit bulls.
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"We can assume it wasn't a good outcome for the dogs," said assistant prosecutor Gus Leon. "It's safe to assume they were killed."
A judge said Kendrick's treatment of those dogs � and of countless others over the past two decades � justified a six-year prison sentence. The judge tacked on another seven-and-a-half years for marijuana trafficking.
Kendrick's sentencing in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court was the culmination of a 2007 state and local investigation that exposed a major dog fighting ring in Southwest Ohio.
Nineteen people, including Kendrick, were arrested in Hamilton County as part of the investigation, known as "Operation Bite Back."
Investigators say Kendrick also was known as "O.G. Posse" and had connections to dog fighting operations from Florida to Texas to New York. They say he operated a kennel that bred fighting dogs in the basement of his College Hill home.
Leon and others also have said Kendrick had ties to former NFL star Michael Vick, whose career as a quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons was derailed when he went to federal prison last year on dog fighting charges.
Kendrick refereed fights for Vick's Band News Kennels and advertised pit bulls in an underground magazine about dog fighting, authorities said.
Leon and others painted a grim portrait of the illegal business today at Kendrick's sentencing.
Judge Robert Ruehlman said photographs, videos and other evidence obtained by investigators revealed the brutality of the sport. The judge described bone-jarring collisions, blood-stained rings and one that was dog mauled so badly its jaw detached from its head.
"Talk about cruelty to animals," Ruehlman said. "I guess there's no animal more cruel than humans."
Amos Robinson, a member of College Hill Court Watch, said Kendrick's dog fighting operation encouraged violence and was a magnet for other illegal activity.
"We have a terrible problem in College Hill and in society," Robinson said. "The dogs had no chance to survive. Win or lose � death is the only option for the dogs."
Kendrick, the 47-year-old father of 12 children, apologized to his family and the community. His attorney, Carl Lewis, said news of Kendrick's involvement with dog fighting was a shock to his friends.
"It's a hard lesson learned," Lewis said. "This is a very dark chapter in his life."
Ruehlman could have sentenced Kendrick to as much as 26 years in prison, but he said several of the charges were related and could not be "piled on" to extend the sentence.
He said he considered the sentence of more than 13 years a maximum sentence, one he said should said a message to the community that law enforcement is taking dog fighting seriously. | Source: Cincinatti Enquirer - June 17 2008 Update posted on Jun 17, 2008 - 11:31AM |
According to court records, Terry Kendrick's sentencing has been deferred pending referral to the probation department. On June 2, Kendrick was remanded to custody without bail, and his sentencing is now scheduled for June 16 at 8:30 a.m. | Source: Hamilton County Case # B 0702268-A Update posted on Jun 4, 2008 - 4:25PM |
Prosecutors offered Terry "O.G." Kendrick a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for seven years instead of to trial on dogfighting and drug trafficking charges.
That decision could cost him 19 more years in prison.
Kendrick, 47, of College Hill , and a father of 12, was convicted Friday by a Hamilton County jury of all 14 charges against him - six counts of dogfighting, six counts of trafficking in marijuana and two counts of possession of marijuana.
Kendrick was the leader of the Cincinnati end of a major dogfighting ring in Southwest Ohio.
He was one of 19 charged in Hamilton County.
With Kendrick's conviction, all but one of the people charged were convicted. Overall, 56 arrests were made in Southwest Ohio in the dogfighting operation.
Kendrick was a referee of dogfights involving pit bulls in 2006 in Walnut Hills, the jury found, and received part of the proceeds of the $20-per-person admission fee.
"We have information he's still continuing in these activities," Assistant Prosecutor Gus Leon told Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman. "It's been going on for 26 years."
"It was a pretty open-and-shut case," the judge said.
Kendrick faces a maximum prison sentence of 26 years when he is sentenced June 16.
Kendrick already has pleaded guilty in federal court to dogfighting, conducting an illegal gambling business and being a felon with a gun.
Sentencing in the federal case is June 30. His attorney, Carl Lewis, said Kendrick faces 30 months in prison for the federal convictions.
Kendrick, an Aiken High graduate, is active in amateur boxing. | Source: Enquirer.com - May 24, 2008 Update posted on May 27, 2008 - 12:13PM |
Dollar Bill was a bloody mess by the time Shawn Matthews was done with him, a court was told Monday.
The pit bull lost a Dec. 30, 2006, dogfight in Walnut Hills and was rewarded by having his owner, Matthews, throw the battered dog over a fence in a park.
"When he dropped the dog in the park, it was badly bleeding and could barely stand," Michael Gabrielson, a sergeant with the Kettering, Ohio, Police Department, testified in a Hamilton County courtroom.
Dollar Bill was deemed by a veterinarian to be in such bad shape that when he was found a few hours later, he was euthanized.
That was the key testimony Monday in the criminal case against Terry "O.G." Kendrick, 47, of College Hill.
Kendrick is the last defendant in a major dogfighting ring in Southwest Ohio. He is charged in Hamilton County with six counts each of dogfighting and trafficking in marijuana and two counts of possession of marijuana.
Kendrick was one of 19 people indicted a year ago in Hamilton County on related dogfighting and drug-trafficking charges. The charges were just some of the cases against the group, some of whose members faced charges from the Dayton, Ohio, area as well as federal charges.
Kendrick, who Gabrielson testified Monday was the referee in the vicious fight that ended with Dollar Bill's death, is the last defendant in Hamilton County to face charges. Seventeen others have been convicted. One had charges dismissed.
Gabrielson told jurors that Dec. 30, 2006, he went to a Walnut Hills business in the 2500 block of Reading Road.
In the basement of that building, Gabrielson and 40 or so spectators paid $20 each to get into the dogfights. Gabrielson said he saw at least four dogs and watched as Kendrick refereed the fight involving Dollar Bill as spectators - and bettors - sat on church pews to watch the action.
"Mr. Kendrick was in the pit and acted as a referee in the fight," Gabrielson said.
The Hamilton County charges against Kendrick carry a maximum prison term of 26 years.
Kendrick already has pleaded guilty in federal court to dogfighting, conducting an illegal gambling business and being a felon with a gun.
Kendrick, a father of 12, was convicted of drug charges in Hamilton County in 1994.
The gambling operation, court documents note, netted Kendrick and others $2,000 a day.
When Kendrick is sentenced May 30 on the federal charges, he faces a maximum 16 years.
Matthews, the owner of Dollar Bill, was convicted in February of three counts of dogfighting and will be sentenced May 28.
The task force made 56 arrests in Southwest Ohio, Gabrielson said. | Source: Cincinnati.com - May 20, 2008 Update posted on May 22, 2008 - 2:03PM |
According to Hamilton County court records, Douglas Blackwell entered a plea of no contest to one felony count of dog-fighting on February 4, 2008. He was sentenced to two years probation, 200 hours community service, and ordered to pay $263.64 in restitution, along with court costs and fines.
Co-defendant Terry Kendrick will stand trial on May 12 at 9:00 a.m.
Co-defendant Shawn Matthews is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2008.
In Montgomery County, Bennie Gartrell pled no contest to one felony count of dog-fighting on January 23, 2008. He is scheduled to be sentenced on February 26 at 9:00 a.m.
The cases stem from a year-long investigation by 22 law enforcement agencies which culminated in March 2007 with simultaneous raids in two counties on seven kennels and a warehouse where dogfights were about to be staged.
The Humane Society of the United States, along with a combined federal, state and local law enforcement team, raided kennels in Dayton, Trotwood and Cincinnati suspected of breeding and selling fighting dogs.
Sixty-four dogs were seized in the raids and two dozen suspects were arrested. Drugs, guns and money also were seized. | Source: Hamilton and Montgomery County Courts Update posted on Feb 12, 2008 - 1:03PM |
On Thursday three people who pleaded guilty to charges in a local dog fighting ring were sentenced.
Evelyn Lillard, Antonio Wilson and Demetrius Thompson were among 19 people arrested after a federal investigation earlier this year.
A judge sentenced all three to serve two years probation and perform 200 hours of community service.
They also have to pay restitution and court costs. | Source: WCPO - Oct 4, 2007 Update posted on Oct 5, 2007 - 2:10AM |
Marlon Rogers has been arrested and is now in custody on his outstanding warrants, as well as new dog-fighting charges in Michigan.
On August 30, Rogers was arrested during a call for a dog fight in progress in Inkster, Michigan. While being booked on the new charges, it was discovered that Rogers had outstanding Ohio warrants for alleged dog-fighting in both Montgomery and Hamilton Counties. | Source: Montgomery and Hamilton County Court Clerk Update posted on Sep 5, 2007 - 4:06PM |
Four people accused of attending dogfights last year in the West End and Walnut Hills were convicted Monday, prosecutors said.
Evelyn Lillard, 37, of Dayton, Ohio; Maurice Ferguson, 35, of Forest Park; Antonio Winslow, 35, of Dayton, Ohio; and Demetrius Thompson, 31, of Walnut Hills, pleaded guilty in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to charges of attempted dogfighting, said Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Gus Leon.
A fifth man in court Monday, Shawn Coleman, 39, of Centerville, Ohio, postponed his case, records show.
Those convicted face up to a year in prison when they're sentenced October 4, but are likely to get probation and community service, the same sentences as seven co-defendants who previously pleaded guilty. | Source: NKY.com - Aug 28, 2007 Update posted on Aug 29, 2007 - 4:37PM |
Several defendants facing dog-fighting charges in Montgomery County as a result of the March 24 raid in two counties have made plea agreements.
According to court records:
On August 2, 2007 Terry Lynn Butler pled guilty to being a witness to a dog fight. Joey Dennis has entered a guilty plea to the same charge.
In July, both Vaudine Gordon and Frank Gilbert received "treatment in lieu of conviction" deals.
Robert Tootle, Kevin McKee and Christopher Nunley have all pled to felony dog-fighting charges. Sentencing information is pending.
Kevin Dunlap is scheduled to go on trial for felony dog-fighting charges August 27, 2007.
Jessie O'Neal and Rashawn Gill both pled to charges of "attempted" dog-fighting. Gill will serve "up to" a year in jail, 5 years probation, and a $2,500 fine, according to the terms of his plea agreement. O'Neal is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4, 2007.
Also appearing in court on September 4 are Paul Pennington and Bennie Gartrell. Gartrell is scheduled for a pre-trial conference, and Pennington is set for trial on that date. | Source: Montgomery County Court Update posted on Aug 20, 2007 - 7:04PM |
The cases against alleged dog-fighters facing charges in two counties after simultaneous raids were conducted on March 24, 2007, are working their way through the courts.
Larontay Bennett pled guilty to one felony count of dog-fighting on July 16, 2007, according to court recrods. Several other counts were dismissed as part of his plea agreement. Bennett is scheduled to be sentenced on October 17 at 9:00 a.m. in Hamilton County Court.
Taquisha Kendrick also pled guilty to one felony count of dog-fighting as part of a plea bargain. She will be sentenced on September 17.
Winslow, Thompson, Coleman, and Ferguson are all scheduled for jury trial August 27 at 9:00 a.m. at the Hamilton County Courthouse.
Shawn Matthews' trial is currently set for September 6, 2007 at 9:00 a.m.
Also in Hamilton County, Terry Kendrick and Douglas Blackwell are set for a plea hearing on October 30.
Previously, Paul James Abrams, Kevin L. Dunlap, Barrett Eugene Lynch, LaCarlos M. Sally, Antonio Sally, Alfred Love, and Ira D. Suber each pled guilty to one felony count of dog-fighting. | Source: Hamilton County Court Update posted on Aug 20, 2007 - 5:02PM |
According to court records, Evelyn Kay Lillard pled guilty to felony dog-fighting charges on July 5, 2007 in Montgomery County. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. | Source: Case # 2007 CR 01654 Update posted on Aug 20, 2007 - 4:14PM |
Seven of more than twenty defendants accused of dog-fighting entered guilty pleas on Friday in Cincinnati.
According to court records, Paul James Abrams, Kevin L. Dunlap, Barrett Eugene Lynch, LaCarlos M. Sally, Antonio Sally, Alfred Love, and Ira D. Suber each pled guilty to one felony count of dog-fighting.
Each initially faced 8 counts of dog-fighting; however the remaining counts were dismissed as part of plea agreements.
All seven defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. in the Hamilton County Courthouse.
Arrest warrants remain active on Cornelius Burnett and Marlon Rogers. | Source: Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Update posted on May 5, 2007 - 1:37AM |
Felony dog-fighting charges have been filed in Hamilton County against at three of the alleged dog-fighters busted in simultaneous raids on seven kennels and a warehouse on March 24.
The Humane Society of the United States, along with a combined federal, state and local law enforcement team, raided kennels in Dayton, Trotwood and Cincinnati suspected of breeding and selling fighting dogs.
Larontay Bennett and Terry Kendrick are scheduled for trial on August 6, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. in the Hamilton County Courthouse. There is currently an outstanding warrant for Cornelius Burnett. All three are charged with multiple counts of dog-fighting, and Kendrick also faces a string of drug charges. Further charges are expected to be filed in Hamilton and Montgomery counties, as well as possible federal charges as a result of the raid. | Source: Hamilton County Docket #'s B 0702268-A, B, and C Update posted on May 3, 2007 - 5:32PM |
When federal agents raided a College Hill home this past weekend, they allegedly found much more than just dogs trained to fight each other to the death.
They also discovered several young children in conditions described to 9News as "deplorable".
It allegedly happened at a house in the 5900 block of Lantana Avenue.
The county says if the kids weren't in jeopardy by the dogs, they definitely were by the unsanitary conditions the dogs and their owners created.
But one occupant at the home in question tells 9News all of this is one giant lie.
It's known as an alleged kennel for a local dog-fighting ring, but that might not have been the only disturbing thing going on inside the home in recent weeks.
"The children were dirty. They smelled like dog urine, dog feces," says Brian Gregg, spokesperson for the Hamilton County's Job and Family Services Department.
Gregg confirms to 9News that after last weekend's raid on the property, five young children were taken out of the home due to unsanitary conditions.
That's a claim disputed by a woman who lives there, who identifies herself as the grandmother to some of the children taken.
She refused to give her name.
"The county is telling us they were cleaning up urine from the house and dog feces from all over the house," 9News reporter Lance Barry told the woman.
"That was a big lie, [the county is telling] a big lie," she responded.
"Two of the kids, a four-year-old and a six-year-old, had just cleaned the floor of dog urine when we entered the house," Gregg said.
"Do you think the county is lying?" asked Barry.
"I know they are lying," said the woman. "I live here."
Gregg also says the dogs, trained to kill, posed a threat even if the conditions inside didn't already.
"The situation obviously was a lot of dogs in the house and perhaps could kill each other. That was a dangerous situation," Gregg said.
The five children come from three families that live at the home.
The county says they are currently staying with relatives.
"I'm hoping to have them home real soon, cause they are hurting over this," the woman told 9News.
Nineteen people from the Tri-state were indicted Monday on charges relating to the alleged dog-fighting rings.
They include several people from the home in question.
When 9News asked the woman what grounds she had to claim that the county was making up stories about the inside of the home, she said that will come out in court. | Source: WCPO - March 29, 2007 Update posted on Mar 29, 2007 - 3:07PM |
A Montgomery County judge has ruled that the majority of the dogs confiscated by federal agents Saturday will be put to sleep.
Officers took 61 pitbulls and three rottweilers from their owners in Dayton, Trotwood, Brookville and Cincinnati after a yearlong investigation into an alleged dog fighting ring.
More than 20 people were arrested in connection with the case; nine are facing federal charges.
The judge did not specify a date for the dogs to be euthanized. A court official told Newscenter 7 that the three rottweilers may have an opportunity to be rehabilitated. | Source: WHIO-TV - March 29, 2007 Update posted on Mar 29, 2007 - 2:41PM |
Officials said today that a dog-fighting ring bust on Saturday was the largest federal government has ever undertaken. The bust involved at least three locations in the Cincinnati area.
A federal grand jury indicted nine people on a total of 46 charges for their roles in the operation of the multi-state dog fighting ring. The nine people included a college hill man and northern Kentucky man, Douglas Blackwell.
Ohio and federal officials met with reporters at 3:45 p.m. to discuss "Operation Bite Back," a yearlong investigation by 22 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
The investigation, conducted with cooperation of the Humane Society of the United States, spanned several states and resulted in federal charges against six people, including Terry Kendrick, also known as "O.G.," 46, of College Hill.
Kendrick was arrested in the Dayton, Ohio, suburb of Moraine. He is charged with conspiracy to sponsor and promote an animal fighting venture and illegal gambling business.
He was among more than two dozen people arrested late Saturday, when agents and officers raided kennels suspected of breeding and selling fighting dogs in the Dayton and Cincinnati areas, the Humane Society said in a news release.
"Agents descended on a warehouse in an industrial section of Dayton as a dogfight was about to begin," the Humane Society said, calling the operation "reportedly the largest of its kind in Ohio."
Authorities also seized more than 60 dogs. The Humane Society moved the animals to temporary housing.
"Dogfighting is a barbaric and despicable act, and this organized network of animal fighters in southern Ohio was dealt a severe blow by this raid," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the national Humane Society.
Experts from Oregon, Florida and Maryland came to help with the bust.
Dogfighting is banned in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia; it's a felony in 48 states including Ohio. But the federal law for interstate dogfighting is only a misdemeanor � which Congress is in the process of changing.
On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation that would make it a felony to transport animals across state lines for fighting. A Senate version of the bill is expected to come to a vote soon, possibly this week. | Source: The Enquirer - March 27, 2007 Update posted on Mar 27, 2007 - 5:29PM |
A Hamilton County grand jury indicted 19 people Monday on charges related to dogfighting after a weekend raid of seven kennels and a warehouse where authorities say the fights were staged.
Authorities said Terry Kendrick, 46, of College Hill, was the ringleader; he faces 18 charges, including promoting dogfighting, witnessing dogfighting and trafficking in marijuana. If convicted, he faces up to 26 years in prison.
Five others were charged with promoting dogfighting. The others were charged with witnessing dogfighting or admitting to being present at dogfighting.
Warrants were issued for all 19 people.
Kendrick's illegal involvement with dogs dates at least to 1999. That year Hamilton County court records show he was charged with harboring pit bulls and given probation.
At Kendrick's home, five children were found living in squalor, said Brian Gregg, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services.
The five young kids, the children of three families living in the home, were removed by the children's agency and placed with relatives.
Two children, ages 4 and 6, had just scrubbed the basement floor, cleaning up dog urine, Gregg said.
"We're concerned about their safety long term and will be monitoring the situation," Gregg said. "It was a dangerous situation. These dogs are trained to kill each other and they were surely a danger to the children."
Kendrick also faces federal charges of conspiracy to sponsor and promote an animal fighting venture and having an illegal gambling business. Kendrick joins five other people from Cincinnati, Trotwood and Brookville, Ohio, who were charged with federal crimes. Additional federal charges against numerous people are anticipated.
Dubbed Operation Bite Back, the raid, which happened simultaneously in Cincinnati and Dayton on Saturday, was the largest single effort by federal, state and local agents � a total of 22 agencies � against organized dogfighting in Ohio, said Fred Alverson, a public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Southern Ohio.
The raid at the warehouse in Dayton happened just before the dogfighting was to begin. Alverson said more than two dozen people waiting for the fights. Seized along with the dogs was $30,000 in cash, firearms, three pounds of marijuana, and three ounces each of crack and powder cocaine.
Alverson said the dogs that were to fight were raised, trained and stored in Cincinnati. The local raids occurred at the following kennels in Cincinnati: 2537 Gilbert Ave., 3361 Saffer St. and 5912 Lantana Ave., Alverson said. Officials said dogs were seized at various locations.
Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the dogs involved were raised to kill. People raised the dogs and went city to city entering them in fights, he said.
"It's like a boxing match, except the loser usually dies," Deters said. "This sport is very vicious and it clearly attracts people involved in other illegal activities."
People would attend the fights, paying an admittance fee of sometimes more than $100.
Once inside, they bet on matches, Deters said.
Not only is hosting dogfighting illegal, even watching it is a felony, Deters said.
Most dogfighting charges carry a penalty of up to 1� years in prison.
Cincinnati lifted its pit bull ban in 1999, then reinstated it in 2003 because people weren't following the city's strict registration requirements. Several other Hamilton County communities, including Golf Manor, enacted bans later that year. Others, including Springfield Township, imposed restrictions on pits, but stopped short of bans. | Source: The Enquirer - March 26, 2007 Update posted on Mar 27, 2007 - 5:46AM |
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