Former Ravens' DT Terrence Cody Facing 15-Count Indictment
BALTIMORE (WJZ) —Former Ravens' defensive tackle Terrence Cody has been indicted on 15 charges of animal abuse, and neglect after he turned himself in to police on Monday.
Mary Bubala has the details.
Those 15 counts include: two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty, 10 misdemeanor counts of animal abuse and neglect, 1 count of possession of an alligator, 1 count of possession of marijuana, and 1 count of possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
The Ravens announced in January they were going to terminate his contract following the Super Bowl. On February 2, he was terminated, hours later he turned himself in.
According to court documents, Cody "intentionally tortured" the animal including failing to provide his dog Taz with proper space, food, drink, and veterinary care. Documents also state Cody inflicted suffering and pain on Taz--ultimately, intentionally "cruelly killing" the dog.
On his Instagram page, Cody posted video and pictures of his dogs including a Presa Canario worth thousands of dollars. But investigators say last month, Cody took the dogs to the vet, who raised red flags about possible abuse after the animal died.
The former Raven was selected in the 2nd round (57th Overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Ravens out of Alabama. Cody's best year with the Ravens was 2011 when he was a full-time starter registering 34 tackles on the NFL's 2nd rated defense. Due to performance, health & weight issues, his playing time decreased every year after. Cody only appeared in 1 game in 2014 for the Ravens.
Cody is also charged with abusing an alligator found in his home by failing to provide food, water and proper space for the animal.
For each of the two felony counts, Cody faces up to 3 years in prison along with fines of up to $5,000.
On Monday, Cody was processed and released on $10,000 bail. An arraignment date has not been set for Cody.
