Virginia man sentenced to 15 years for animal cruelty and fraud

Rodney Travis Jr., 27, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to animal cruelty and computer fraud in Henrico County, Virginia. The sentencing, handed down by Judge Linda Lambert, follows a scheme in which Travis beat and maimed nearly 20 cats.

Prosecutors stated that Travis used videos and images of the injured animals on platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to solicit donations from the public. These social media accounts, which falsely claimed the animals needed treatment for cancer, raised more than $400,000.

In addition to the prison term, the plea agreement includes $25,000 in fines, five years of supervised probation, and a lifetime ban on owning or having intentional contact with animals. Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor noted that the sentence is the longest animal cruelty term ever imposed in the state of Virginia.