Providence man indicted in alleged cockfighting ring says he is changed man
by TEMI-TOPE ADELEYE, NBC 10 NEWS
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — A Providence man indicted in an alleged cockfighting ring blames his culture, saying he didn’t know it was illegal.
Miguel Delgado, 74, is one of six men facing federal charges from two cases in 2022.
The Puerto Rican native told NBC 10 News that a cultural difference is to blame for the cockfighting charges and that he is a changed man, who loves the birds he keeps.
“What I did was wrong. In my country, they’ve got coliseums and we go and do it,” said Delgado. “I’ve been here 50 years and when this happened I just started to do it.”
A federal grand jury indicted him and five other men in connection to an alleged cockfighting operation in Providence.
Geridemez Kingsley Jamie, Jose Rivera, Luis Castillo, and Delgado were all arraigned on Monday. They pleaded not guilty and were released on bond.
Prosecutors said the incidents happened in February and March of 2022.
I caught up with Delgado and his wife shortly after the arraignment, but they were not interested in talking.
“No comment,” said the duo.
An hour later, when NBC 10 News showed up at his home, he invited us News to see the birds and hear his side of the story.
“I didn’t know that was illegal and was going to give me all of this trouble. That’s why I didn’t talk to you when I got out of there,” said Delgado.
He said he loves his birds and claims to be a changed man.
“People get the first impression that, you know, this guy is a criminal, he’s a racketeer,” said Delgado. “I was all of that in my past, you know. That’s why you’re talking to me here because I got nothing to hide.”
NBC 10 News asked Delgado if he feels overwhelmed with more than a dozen birds he has on his property.
“Right now, I am,” said Delgado. “I don’t eat it. How can you? It’s like eating a kid.”
Delgado pleaded not guilty in court on Monday to multiple charges related to cockfights, yet admitted his guilt to NBC 10 News.
“Why I’m going to plead guilty when I got a lawyer to advise me not guilty? He’s the one that plead for me, not me,” said Delgado.
In addition to being released on an unsecured $10,000 bond, Delgado cannot communicate with the other co-defendants, and he cannot leave Rhode Island as his pretrial is being set.
Cockfighting in Puerto Rico has been illegal since 2018.