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No Jail Time For NY Men Who Blew Up Turtle

KNOX, N.Y. (AP) -- Three New York brothers arrested after they videotaped themselves blowing up a turtle have avoided harsh punishment.

Tyson, James and Seth Pincher, of Knox, pleaded guilty Friday to a non-criminal disorderly conduct charge.
The violation is no more serious than a speeding ticket. It carries no jail time.

The men and two alleged accomplices originally faced animal abuse charges, but those counts were dropped or downgraded, in part because the statute of limitations expired.

Police arrested the men last September after discovering the videotape while searching the home of a suspect in an unrelated case.

They found guns, homemade bombs and a video in which a group of men tortured a turtle and then killed it with a pipe bomb.

An attorney for Tyson Pincher called the brothers, "basically decent, hardworking people."

(Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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