Defense official charged with facilitating dogfighting ring

An official with the Department of Defense has been charged with facilitating a dog fight alongside another man from Maryland, the Justice Department said in a news release on Monday.

The two men, including Department of Defense Deputy Chief Information Officer Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr., were charged with facilitating and promoting the dogfight on Sept. 21, 2023, but both men have pleaded “not guilty.”

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Moorefield no longer works for the Defense Department, a Pentagon official told the Washington Post, but no further details on his termination have been released.

According to an unsealed affidavit, Moorefield and his associate Mario Flythe allegedly used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to discuss how to train dogs for dogfighting and coordinate dogfights. The pair also talked about dogfighting bets, dogs that died due to the fights, and distributed reports about dogfighters who were arrested by the police.

The duo also allegedly discussed how to keep their misconduct from law enforcement. One example is Moorefield using the name “Geehad Kennels” and Flythe using the name “Razor Sharp Kennels” in such conversations.

Police officers executed search warrants at Moorefield’s and Flythe’s residences in Maryland last month, and 12 dogs were seized by the government. “Law enforcement also recovered veterinary steroids, training schedules, a carpet that appeared to be stained with blood, and a weighted dog vest,” according to the press release.

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Law enforcement additionally retrieved an object that had jumper cables and an electrical plug, which the affidavit notes is consistent with devices that are used to execute dogs.

The pair first appeared in court on Thursday, but they have been released pending trial. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment for possessing, training, or transporting animals that are meant to participate in dogfights.