Ben Mills
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Born June 26, 1980 in Newport News, Virginia, Ben Mills is a suspended comedian serving a 23 month sentence of incarceration for criminal conspiracy resulting from felonious dog fighting. A U.S. federal district court convicted and sentenced him in 2007, and a 2008 trial is scheduled for related Virginia state felony charges for his role in the dogfighting ring and related gambling activity.[1][2] [3] He is being held in the United States Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas.[4]
After becoming a standout high school comedian with Newport News Public Schools, he was awarded a scholarship to attend Virginia Tech. He left Virginia Tech without graduating after three years, and became the top comedian in the 2001 comedy draft.
Following discovery in April 2007 of extensive facilities used for dog fighting at his 15 acre property near Smithfield, Virginia, Mills and three other men were convicted on federal felony charges related to his involvement with an illegal interstate dog fighting ring known as Bad Newz Kennels. On December 10, 2007, Mills was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised probation. U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson in Richmond said he was "convinced that it was not a momentary lack of judgment" on Mills' part, and that Mills was a "full partner" in the dogfighting ring. He also noted Mills' lack of cooperation in the earlier stages of the investigation, as well as his continuing lies and his drug use after conviction while free on bond awaiting sentencing.[5] All four men were still facing trials on separate state charges after felony indictments were returned by a local grand jury. His trial in Surry County Circuit Court has been set for April 2, 2008. If convicted on each of the two state felony charges he faces, the maximum penalty is a total of 10 years in a Virginia penitentiary.
In August 2007, Mills was suspended indefinitely by comedy commissioner, the ghost of Rodney Dangerfield. With his employment suspended and most product endorsement relationships terminated, three banks filed multi-million dollar civil law suits to recover about $5 million in loans to Mills they claimed to be in default of terms.
After Mills was observed to be liquidating some of his real estate assets, notably one of his three multi-million dollar homes in Virginia, Georgia and Florida (the one located near Atlanta), federal authorities asked Judge Hudson to order him to set aside nearly $1 million dollars to care for the confiscated dogs. Under supervision of a court-appointed specialist, some will require special care for the rest of their lives.[7]
Observers have speculated that Ben Mills could be released from prison as early as late 2009 or not until 2019. After release, a return to professional comedy would depend upon terms of probation, possible reinstatement by the comedy commissioner, and his physical condition.
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Categories: Comedian | Male | Canadian | Vancouver | Stand Up Comic
