Isaiah Buggs sentenced to hard labor on animal cruelty convictions, prohibited from owning dogs or cats

Former Alabama Football star and former Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been convicted of misdemeanor animal cruelty charges.

Tuscaloosa County District Judge Joanne Jannik convicted the 27-year-old Buggs on July 19 on two counts of animal cruelty. Jannik sentenced Buggs to 365 days of hard labor in Tuscaloosa County. She ordered him to serve 60 days, with the rest to be suspended for two years pending “the behavior of the defendant.”

The judge ordered Buggs not be in the possession of any guns and prohibited him from owning any cats or dogs.

Buggs is appealing the conviction and sentence to circuit court.

The embattled Buggs, still facing other charges in Tuscaloosa County, was released from the Chiefs following his legal troubles. He played at the University of Alabama in 2017 and 2018.

On March 28, Tuscaloosa police received information of two dogs being left on the back of a home on Diamond Circle.

Tuscaloosa police and City of Tuscaloosa Animal Control went to the house and found a grey and white pitbull on the screened-in back porch covered with feces, according to court records. They also found a black rottweiler mix locked in a metal cage in direct sunlight with no access to food or water.

Both animals were seized that day because they were “severely malnourished, emaciated, neglected,” and the residence appeared to be abandoned.

A neighbor told investigators the house had been rented by Buggs. A notice of termination had been served on Buggs on April 15 because $3,116 in back rent was owed, according to the documents.

Witnesses told police Buggs moved out of the house about March 19.

The pitbull was euthanized at the Tuscaloosa County Metro Animal Shelter at the end of April because of the animal’s “increasing aggressiveness” and failed heartworm treatment provided by the shelter.

The rtottweiler, records state, weighed 52 pounds which experts said was extremely low for a 3-year-old dog of that breed.

Authorities, according to the documents, were unable to get in touch with Buggs.

Court records did not yet list an attorney for Buggs.

Authorities obtained two misdemeanor warrants against Buggs for second-degree animal cruelty.

Buggs’ agent, Trey Robinson, has previously said the dogs were not his and that he was unaware they were still at the rental property.

Robinson said in the previous statement Buggs “vehemently denies the truthfulness of the allegations and charges asserted against him,”

“We believe the City of Tuscaloosa’s decision to file charges today is part of a concerted effort by the City of Tuscaloosa and Tuscaloosa Police Department to besmirch Mr. Buggs’ name and reputation as part of an ongoing subversive campaign to force the close of his local business Kings Hookah Lounge,” the statement read.

Buggs in June was arrested on charges of second-degree domestic violence and second-degree burglary.

Tuscaloosa police said Buggs was arrested after officers responded to a 911 call placed at 5:28 a.m. Sunday from the 1600 block of Mimosa Park Road.

Court documents in that case accuse Buggs of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s apartment at the Legacy at Country Club in Tuscaloosa. The court records say he broke in with a tire iron and dragged the woman down the stairs. The victim had scratch marks on her, and several broken clip-on toenails, records state.

A preliminary hearing in that case is set for later this year.

Buggs was arrested twice for misdemeanors at the Kings Hookah Lounge, including the incident after the 2024 Alabama A-Day game in which Buggs allegedly shoved Police Chief Brent Blankley.

According to police records, officers responded to the lounge in the early morning hours of April 14, after complaints that parking from the lounge had spilled into other businesses. Authorities reportedly counted 283 people in the club, well over its capacity of 83.

Officers made contact with Buggs, who was given a citation for overcrowding in violation of fire codes.

Buggs, records state, became irate and said, “These boys better not touch me,” and “I’m not going in handcuffs.” Buggs started to walk away, and the police chief put his hand on Buggs shoulder to escort him back into the building.

“Buggs turned around and shoved Chief Blankley into several officers,’’ records state. A scuffle ensued, and it took several officers to put Buggs into handcuffs.

No one was injured.

Buggs was charged with resisting arrest and two outstanding writs on violations from 2023 involving overcrowding at the lounge and a violation of the ordinance “alleys kept free of rubbish/trash.”

Buggs has since shut down the lounge.