Miranda - Courtesty of Mercy for Animals -

ROCKINGHAM — An undercover investigation by an animal rights group has resulted in another North Carolina conviction on animal cruelty charges.

Danny Cajija Miranda, 22, pleaded guilty to consolidated charges on three counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals on Monday, court documents show.

He was sentenced to 45 days behind bars — receiving credit for the 27 days already served — and 12 months of unsupervised probation by District Court Judge Regina Joe. In addition, he was ordered “not to be employed with any type of animals.”

Miranda, a Mexican citizen, was arrested in early December and charged with four felonies for “maliciously” killing chickens while working for Deese Farms and Hideaway Farms, contract growers for Perdue Farms Inc., owned by Tommy Deese. He was also charged with a misdemeanor count of cruelty for allegedly striking a small dog.

Richmond County Jail records indicate Miranda was picked up by officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement before noon on Tuesday.

“We appreciate the efforts of local law enforcement and the courts to quickly resolve this issue,” Perdue spokeswoman Julie DeYoung said in an email late Tuesday.

UNDERCOVER ACTIVISM

Richmond County sheriff’s deputies were made aware of the abuse by Los Angeles-based Mercy for Animals, which sent an undercover operative to work at the farms and record evidence of any mistreatment.

Video provided by Mercy for Animals shows several chickens being stomped on and one being flung against the wall inside a chicken house, as well as other chickens in poor health.

“This case graphically illustrates the cruel, inhumane and illegal abuses that farmed animals are all too often subjected to at Perdue chicken factory farms across the country,” Nathan Runkle, president of Mercy for Animals, said in a Tuesday statement. “Perdue has the power and the ethical responsibility to end the worst forms of animal cruelty in its supply chain by immediately adopting meaningful animal welfare policies. These convictions should send a clear message to the poultry industry that animal abuse will not be tolerated.”

Mercy for Animals has conducted more than four-dozen undercover farm operations across the U.S. and Canada, according to Matt Rice, director of investigations. Since 2011, four of those have been in North Carolina, including two at Butterball turkey facilities in Hoke County, leading to the convictions of at least four employees.

A new law, which was dubbed the “ag-gag” bill, went into effect Jan. 1 that penalizes such investigations.

The North Carolina General Assembly overrode a veto by Gov. Pat McCrory earlier this year to pass a bill that establishes civil penalties for workers who blow the whistle on inhumane or unsafe conditions at North Carolina’s factory farms using video and audio recording and/or the copying or removal of records, data and documents in “the nonpublic areas of an employer’s premises.”

The new law directs courts to award exemplary damages of $5,000 a day “for each day, or portion thereof, that a defendant has acted in violation.”

A similar bill, introduced in 2013 and never passed, would have made such activities a misdemeanor criminal offense.

A federal judge ruled in August that Idaho’s law banning secret filming of animal abuse at agricultural facilities is unconstitutional and violates the First Amendment, according to the Associated Press.

Referring to the Tar Heel State statue, Rice told the Daily Journal last month that Mercy for Animals is “exploring all avenues to overturn this dangerous and un-American law.”

CORPORATE REPERCUSSIONS

Miranda wasn’t the only one punished for his actions at the farm.

Perdue had initially suspended the contract for the farms, pending a corporate investigation. However, more drastic measures have been taken.

“We have ended our relationship with the two farms where the abuse occurred,” DeYoung said. “Even though they were not directly involved in the mistreatment, we trust our contract farmers to ensure that our chickens are cared for appropriately, and unfortunately that did not happen here.”

DeYoung said those observed mishandling birds in the video have been either fired or retrained.

“We have worked with the company whose crews catch our chickens to address the mishandling of chickens depicted in the video and all catching crews have been retrained on proper handling techniques,” she said. “We also communicated with all our associates who work with the farmers raising our chickens to remind them of their responsibility to make sure our birds are receiving proper care. This includes ensuring birds with leg issues or other health problems that can cause suffering are quickly and humanely culled.”

Deese, who is also on the Richmond Soil and Water District Board of Supervisors, declined to comment Tuesday night, only saying he wanted to move on.

His farm had served as a Perdue contract grower since 1992.

Reach reporter William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_toler.

Miranda https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_DANNY-CAJIJA-MIRANDA-1.jpg Miranda Courtesty of Mercy for Animals https://www.yourdailyjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/web1_chickenabuse_1.jpg Courtesty of Mercy for Animals