A Tecumseh man was among at least 30 people either indicted or arrested Wednesday in dogfighting raids across six states, said the Justice Department and animal-welfare officials.

Julio C. Reyes, 28, a longtime resident of Tecumseh, was among seven people indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly running a pit bull dog-fighting ring in northwest Missouri.

The Kansas City Star reported that the indictment was unsealed Wednesday. It alleges that the seven defendants bet thousands of dollars on at least three fights earlier this year at a farm in Harrison County, Mo.

Also indicted were Rick P. Hihath, 55, of St. Joseph, Mo.; Cris E. Bottcher, 48, of Gilman City, Mo.; Jill D. Makstaller, 32, of Perry, Iowa; Zachary R. Connelly, 32, of Ogden, Iowa; Kevin P. Tasler, 51, of Jefferson, Iowa; and Ryan J. Tasler, 32, of Woodward, Iowa.

The indictment alleges the fights took place at Bottcher's farm in Gilman City, about 100 miles northeast of Kansas City.

Prosecutors said some dogs involved in the fights were burned, shot or thrown in a river and others did not receive proper care for their wounds.

Reyes was not yet in custody as of Wednesday afternoon, said Don Ledford, public affairs officer with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Kansas City.

Reyes faces two felony charges: one for helping to organize, plan and carry out the dog fights and another for transporting two pit bulls from Nebraska to Missouri. One of the dogs was shot after it failed to perform well in a fight.

If convicted, Reyes faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.

Nothing in the indictment says any of the dog fights took place outside of Missouri and no search warrants had been served in Nebraska as of Wednesday, Ledford said.

Johnson County (Neb.) Attorney Julie Smith Hogancamp declined comment on the federal investigation, but told the Journal Star she has not prosecuted any dog fighting cases since she was elected in 2006.

Wednesday's indictment isn't the first time Reyes has gotten in legal trouble over animals.

In 2006, he was convicted of failing to restrain a dangerous dog after his pit bull got loose in Tecumseh and attacked another dog, according to court records. The injured dog had to be euthanized and a judge fined Reyes $100 and ordered his dog destroyed.

In addition, he was twice convicted of misdemeanors since 2000 for dogs running at large or barking.

In 2002, Reyes also was convicted of attempted animal cruelty and fined $150 for failing to properly feed two horses he owned, said Steve Mercure, the former Johnson County attorney who prosecuted the case.

In an e-mail, the Humane Society of the United States said it assisted "in the unprecedented rescue of hundreds of dogs from multiple organized dogfighting operations." The Humane Society and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said Wednesday's action was believed to have been the largest simultaneous raid of multiple dogfighting operations in U.S. history.

According to the Humane Society, the raids by task forces involving federal, state and local law enforcement agencies were conducted across Missouri, Illinois, Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma and Arkansas after a nine-month investigation.

Dogfighting is banned throughout the United States and is a felony in 48 states. After a long campaign by animal-welfare groups, President George W. Bush signed a law two years ago that increased penalties for activities that promote or encourage animal fighting.