A repeat dogfighter has been sentenced to five years in federal prison after authorities removed 190 dogs from his property in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
Former NFL player LeShon Johnson also received three years of supervised release and a $30,000 fine after a jury convicted him on six felony dogfighting charges, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The 190 dogs were the most ever seized from one person in a federal dogfighting case.
This was not Johnson’s first dogfighting case. He pleaded guilty to similar offenses in Oklahoma in 2004, but was running another major operation by 2007. Under the name Mal Kant Kennels, he trafficked hundreds of pit bulls around the country for fighting.
Trial testimony showed how the operation turned dogs’ suffering into money. Johnson advertised dogs as “champions” and “grand champions” after they had won three or five fights, respectively. He then sold their puppies and charged people to have their female dogs bred with his male dogs from prized fighting lines, bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The toll on these dogs was devastating. Hundreds of pit bulls died or suffered serious injuries because of Johnson’s crimes, CBS Sports reported.
Lady Freethinker thanks the investigators, prosecutors, and U.S. Marshals Service personnel whose work helped remove the dogs from his property and hold him accountable. We hope every seized dog receives the safety, patient care, and love they deserve.
