United States of America v. Robert Craig

Columbus, Ohio, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against monkeys.

Robert Craig, of Charlotte, conspired with others to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos” which depicted acts of sadistic violence against baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators used encrypted chat applications to direct money to individuals in Indonesia willing to commit the requested acts of torture on camera. Craig signed a statement of facts saying he shared a video in which a monkey was mutilated, and other videos shared by the conspirators also depicted mutilation as well as sodomization of monkeys.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.

Change of Plea Hearing set (TIME CHANGE ONLY) for 1/22/2026 at 01:00 PM in Courtroom 311 - Columbus before Judge Edmund A. Sargus. (cmw) (Entered: 01/22/2026)