OKLAHOMA (WTAQ-WLUK) — A former running back for the Green Bay Packers has been indicted for allegedly operating a large-scale dog fighting and trafficking operation in which 190 dogs were seized.
Leshon Johnson, 54, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, made his initial court appearance last week, according to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Johnson played for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants during a six-year NFL career in the 1990s.
A news release says Johnson is accused of violating the dog fighting prohibitions of the federal Animal Welfare Act by possessing dogs for use in an animal fighting operation and for selling, transporting and delivering a dog for use in an animal fighting venture.
190 dogs were recovered from Johnson’s ownership in October. This is believed to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case.
Court documents allege Johnson was running two dog fighting operations in Oklahoma. It comes after he was previously convicted on state animal fighting charges in 2004.
Johnson selectively bred “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs — dogs that have respectively won three or five fights — to produce offspring with fighting traits and abilities desired by him and others for use in dog fights. Johnson marketed and sold stud rights and offspring from winning fighting dogs to other dog fighters looking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels “bloodline” into their own dog fighting operations. His trafficking of fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially.
Johnson was indicted on 21 charges. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.
In a news release, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma said, in part, “Dog fighting is a cruel, blood-thirsty venture, not a legitimate business or sporting activity. I applaud the investigative work… in detecting and dismantling breeding operations which only serve to propagate this deplorable conduct.”
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