Nineteen people face charges stemming from an investigation into dog fighting in the Hills Chapel area of Prentiss County.

In addition to the 19 arrests, Sheriff Randy Tolar said deputies seized $10,000 in cash, a firearm, equipment related to dog fighting and several vehicles.

Four pit bulls were removed from the property and were being held as evidence, Tolar said.

The weekend raid followed a four-month investigation into potential dog fighting at the rural home of Jamie Trimble, Tolar said.

“When our guys executed the search warrant, the dogs were actually in the process of fighting,” Tolar said. “There were several people there watching the fights and we were able to arrest many of those people.”

Trimble was charged with organizing a dog fight, while the others were charged with being a spectator at a dog fight. The charges are felonies.

Tolar said the fighting pit was a 20-by-20-foot wooden portable device that could be moved to other locations. He said people from as far away as Meridian were arrested in the raid.

“This is a very underground type of crime,” he said. “That’s why it’s so hard to get a handle on it. We had people from all around participating. Dog fighting is big money for these people.”

Trimble’s bond was set at $10,000, while bond for the others was set at $5,000 each.