Man convicted in notorious animal cruelty case back in jail
CLEARWATER - Robert Bruce Pettyjohn, who was involved in one of the most notorious animal cruelty cases in the Tampa Bay area, was booked into the Pinellas County Jail this morning on charges
he violated his probation.
Pettyjohn, now 27, had pleaded guilty to being part of a
two-month animal cruelty spree in 2001 that spanned Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
In 2002, Pettyjohn was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by two years of community control and five years of probation.
He was released from prison on Oct. 17, 2008, and is supposed to undergo drug and psychiatric treatment, according to the terms of his probation.
Pettyjohn violated the terms of his probation by failing to give a urine sample once he showed up at a probation office in Hudson on March 9. He then refused to return for the urine sample the next day, and also failed to show up March 25 and April 24 for random drug tests.
Pettyjohn also falsely reported that he had paid the Department of Corrections $200, when he in fact had paid nothing and was $3,500 in arrears in payments, the affidavit says. He has also failed to pay restitution to the victims of his various crimes.
In addition to animal cruelty, Pettyjohn was convicted of grand theft, burglary and cocaine charges.
If he is found to have violated his probation, he could be sentenced to an
additional 40 years in prison.
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