Leshon Johnson Sentenced To 5 Years For A Massive Dog Fighting Ring
LeShon Johnson, 54, the former NFL running back who played six seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants from 1994 to 1999, was sentenced to five years in federal prison Thursday for his role in operating a massive dog fighting ring in Oklahoma, one of the largest ever prosecuted in the United States.
A federal jury convicted Johnson in May on six felony counts of violating the Animal Welfare Act after prosecutors presented evidence that he had operated "Mal Kant Kennels" in Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma, breeding and trafficking pit bulls trained as fighting dogs.
Federal agents seized 190 dogs from his properties, the largest animal seizure in a federal dog fighting case in US history. Many were found injured or scarred. Investigators also recovered treadmills, bite sticks, steroids and detailed fighting records.
Financial records showed more than $400,000 in dog sales over four years, including international transactions via Cash App.
This was not Johnson's first animal cruelty conviction. He pleaded guilty to state animal fighting charges in Oklahoma in 2004 and avoided prison time.
Authorities believe he may have been involved in dog fighting even during his NFL career. He was convicted of six counts and acquitted on 17 others.
Thursday's sentence closes a case Attorney General Pam Bondi called among the most significant animal cruelty prosecutions in recent years.
