A Division of Protection communications official has been charged with working a dogfighting ring that operated for a few years and wherein hundreds of {dollars} had been guess on violent matches, federal prosecutors in Maryland stated this week.
The official, Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., 62, of Arnold, Md., was a deputy chief info officer for command, management and communications, in keeping with an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court docket in Baltimore and Mr. Moorefield’s LinkedIn web page, which stated he had been with the division for 11 years.
In line with a news release from the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace in Maryland, Mr. Moorefield and one other defendant, Mario Damon Flythe, 49, of Anne Arundel County, Md., communicated utilizing encrypted messaging purposes to debate the way to practice canines for unlawful dogfighting, to coordinate dogfights, to debate betting on dogfighting and to debate canines that had died on account of dogfighting.
Mr. Moorefield and Mr. Flythe, a barber, used the names “Geehad Kennels” and “Razor Sharp Kennels” to establish their dogfighting operations, in keeping with the affidavit, which was ready by Particular Agent Ryan C. Daly of the F.B.I. In addition they mentioned with others throughout america the way to conceal their conduct from regulation enforcement.
Mr. Moorefield had been concerned in dogfighting for about twenty years, in keeping with the affidavit. An informant cited within the doc stated that he had entered a canine right into a battle towards one in all Mr. Moorefield’s canines “in or round 2009.” In line with information of communications cited within the doc, Mr. Moorefield was “canvassing his dogfighting associates” to seek out contenders to arrange different fights.
Particular Agent Daly cited a list of combating canines below the “Geehad” title that dated again to 2002 and confirmed canines that belonged to Mr. Moorefield and others in dogfighting circles.
The 2 males are accused of shopping for, promoting, delivering, possessing, coaching or transporting animals for participation in an animal combating enterprise; utilizing the postal service or different interstate instrumentality for selling or furthering an animal combating enterprise; and interesting in a conspiracy to sponsor or exhibit an animal in an animal combating enterprise.
If convicted, Mr. Moorefield and Mr. Flythe would every face a most sentence of 5 years in federal jail for possessing, coaching or transporting animals for participation in an animal combating enterprise.
Mr. Moorefield and Mr. Flythe appeared in federal courtroom in Baltimore on Thursday and had been launched pending trial. Neither might be reached for touch upon Tuesday.
Legislation enforcement officers carried out search warrants on the Maryland houses of the 2 males on Sept. 6 and recovered 12 canines. Officers additionally seized veterinary steroids; coaching schedules; a carpet stained with blood; a canine vest with a patch that learn, “Geehad Kennels”; and {an electrical} plug with jumper cables, a kind of machine that has been used to execute canines that lose dogfights.
In line with courtroom paperwork, Anne Arundel County Animal Management responded in November 2018 to a report of two lifeless canines discovered with wounds and scarring patterns in step with dogfighting in a plastic bag about six miles from Mr. Moorefield’s home. The bag additionally contained mail addressed to Mr. Moorefield.
The Pentagon stated in a press release that it was conscious of the prison criticism within the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Maryland. “We will verify that the person is not within the office, however we can not remark additional on a person personnel matter,” Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman stated.
The costs stemmed from proof gathered from the August 2022 indictments of seven different defendants who had been a part of discussion groups on safe messaging apps that went below the names of “the DMV Board” or “the Board” and had been used to arrange canine fights, the affidavit stated. Six of the defendants have pleaded responsible to costs associated to dogfighting.
Dogfighting is a sport the place canines are bred for aggressiveness and compelled to battle each other for the leisure and revenue of spectators, in keeping with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or A.S.P.C.A., which estimates that a whole bunch of hundreds of canines are pressured to coach, battle and undergo yearly.
In 2019, the Stopping Animal Cruelty and Torture Act was signed into regulation making intentional acts of animal cruelty federal crimes that carry penalties of as much as seven years in jail. Federal regulation had already banned sponsoring animal fights, however the 2019 regulation was handed to assist prosecutors deal with instances of abused animals that cross state traces, in keeping with animal rights teams.
Stacy Wolf, a senior vice chairman on the A.S.P.C.A., stated that this case demonstrated that dogfighting is rather more frequent than many individuals notice. She stated that strengthened dogfighting legal guidelines had been encouraging, however that extra progress wanted to be made.
“Legislation enforcement is way much less more likely to examine and intervene in animal combating operations when they’re uncertain if animal safety companies can bear the price and burden of caring for seized animals, which implies fewer animals saved,” Ms. Wolf stated.
Dogfighting is a public security threat, she added, related to prison exercise together with unlawful playing and possession of medicine and firearms.
Alain Delaquérière contributed analysis and Johnny Diaz contributed reporting.