Published: November 10th 2026
MINNEAPOLIS, MN: A Carver man has been found guilty of 16 federal animal cruelty charges after prosecutors said he intentionally subjected animals to serious harm, recorded the incidents and distributed the videos online, including through paid memberships.
United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that a federal jury found Bryan Wesley Edison guilty of 16 counts of animal crushing on Monday, November 9, 2026, following a trial before U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim.
Edison faces up to seven years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 for each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 3, 2027.
According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, Edison engaged in the conduct beginning on or before July 30, 2022, and continuing through at least October 19, 2023.
Federal prosecutors said Edison recorded videos in which he intentionally placed smaller live animals with a large exotic reptile, allowing the animals to be attacked and subjected to prolonged suffering. Some of the animals died during the incidents.
Investigators determined that Edison uploaded the recordings to an online video-hosting platform, where he operated multiple channels. The platform eventually removed his channels for violating its policies regarding violent content.
Prosecutors said Edison made some videos publicly available while offering additional, more graphic content through paid memberships ranging from 99 cents to $99.99.
The highest-priced membership reportedly allowed subscribers to request specific scenarios involving animals.
According to federal authorities, Edison received at least $1,500 in payments through the platform.
Evidence presented at trial also showed that Edison used graphic video titles and promotional descriptions to advertise the content. Prosecutors said he could be heard narrating or commenting on the incidents in numerous recordings.
The case was prosecuted under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act, a federal law signed in 2019 that expanded protections against intentional acts of extreme animal cruelty.
The law prohibits intentionally subjecting certain living animals to serious bodily injury through specified acts of cruelty. It includes exceptions for lawful activities such as hunting, fishing, animal husbandry, veterinary euthanasia and scientific research.
Federal prosecutors said the jury determined that none of those statutory exceptions applied to Edison's conduct.
“The defendant tried to make a profit and took pleasure in torturing defenseless animals. His actions were inhumane and illegal, and with this guilty verdict, my office is delivering justice,” Rosen said in a statement.
FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson also condemned the conduct, emphasizing the harm caused by producing and distributing recordings of intentional animal cruelty.
Dotson said the FBI would continue investigating federal crimes involving the intentional abuse of animals and the online distribution of such material.
Edison was originally indicted by a federal grand jury on September 4, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeanne Semivan and Campbell Warner are prosecuting the case.
Edison has been convicted by a federal jury but has not yet been sentenced. The court will determine his sentence at the March 2027 hearing.