A husband and wife who operated Fair Play Farm in Clinton were convicted Friday of six counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals.

Brett Ingraham, 34, and Alexis Ingraham, 26, entered no-contest pleas in Cumberland County Superior Court, and Justice Ronald Cole automatically found them guilty.

The Ingrahams are to be sentenced at a hearing 9 a.m. June 29 in Kennebec County Superior Court.

Kennebec County District Attorney Evert Fowle said all the convictions involved cruelty to horses.

“We’re recommending jail and restitution for both of them,” Fowle said. “They have a right to argue for lesser or no jail and lesser restitution.”

State animal welfare agents seized 15 horses and other animals from the farm a year ago. The Ingrahams turned over ownership of all the animals to the state in April, halting a series of civil proceedings.

Under the terms of a plea agreement negotiated between the state and the Ingrahams’ attorney, David Van Dyke, Brett Ingraham will face a maximum of 364 days in jail with all but 15 days suspended and a year of administrative release, plus $3,000 in fines.

He would not be allowed to own or possess horses during the year of administrative release and would have to share with his wife in paying $10,000 restitution.

“The restitution is for the expenses associated with the care and custody of the horses after we seized them,” Fowle said. “It does not by a long shot cover the full cost of them.”

A maximum sentence for Alexis Ingraham is to be a year in jail with all but 30 days suspended and a year of administrative release, plus the restitution.

“We will argue strongly that she and he never again be allowed to own or possess horses,” Fowle said. “We hope this ends with a strong message that, if you take it upon yourself to provide care for horses, you better be able to do it properly. The conditions we discovered in June of last year when we did the search warrant were deplorable and inexcusable.”

Fowle said the horses have improved markedly since they were taken from the Ingrahams.

Van Dyke said the Ingrahams can afford neither fines nor restitution and opted for the pleas rather than a trial.