Rance Pleads Guilty to Felony Animal Cruelty

Calvert County State’s Attorney Robert Harvey announced that Rodney Carlton Rance, 53, of Lanham, pleaded guilty on December 17, 2021, to 14 counts of felony animal cruelty relating to the use and possession of dogs for dogfighting.  The agreement includes a recommendation by the State that Rance serve 3 years, 6 months of active incarceration at the Maryland Division of Corrections.  As part of the plea agreement, Rance forfeited his ownership of the 22 dogs recovered at his property and will pay $84,056 in restitution to the Calvert County Government.  Sentencing is set for March 28, 2022 at 1:00 pm before the Honorable Mark S. Chandlee.

 

These charges are the result of a collaborative effort between the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, St. Mary’s County Animal Control, Humane Rescue Alliance, and the Calvert County Animal Cruelty Task Force, comprised of members of the Sheriff’s Office, Animal Control, and the State’s Attorney’s Office.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant State’s Attorney Christopher J. Monte.