North Texas woman pleads guilty in unlicensed German Shepherd breeding facility case

A woman from Hopkins County has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a case involving an unlicensed German Shepherd breeding facility.Law enforcement officials said she was selling German Shepherds for thousands of dollars and fraudulently claiming they were healthy, purebred, American Kennel Club-registered dogs. In reality, most had questionable parentage, false papers, and health issues. Hopkins County Unlicensed BreederAccording to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas, Kristine Hicks pleaded guilty last Wednesday to four counts of wire fraud.Hicks is a 51-year-old resident of Cumby, which is located about an hour and a half northeast of Dallas in Hopkins County.Federal prosecutors said she was operating an unlicensed breeding facility named Giant German Shepherds, selling dogs for thousands of dollars after telling buyers they were healthy, purebred, AKC-registered animals with the perfect temperament for life as a family pet or service anim