A jury trial is set to begin Tuesday for a 48-year-old man accused of stomping one puppy to death and injuring another at a central Illinois home where he was staying with friends.

Reports indicate Stephen Coker has pleaded not guilty to two charges of aggravated cruelty to a companion animal. If found guilty in the Tazewell County trial, he could go back to prison for three years.

He'd recently been released from prison where he'd been serving a 10-year sentence for residential arson and aggravated domestic battery. Old family friends in Delavan, Illinois, had invited him to live at their home. Prosecutors say he injured the puppies during a violent outburst.

He's remained in custody since his arrest on the animal cruelty charges.