Ex-NFL Player Busted in Major FBI Dog Fighting Seizure

A former NFL running back is indicted for running a massive dog fighting ring. 

The case against Leshon Johnson resulted in the seizure of 190 dogs from his properties in Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. It’s believed to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case. 

Johnson, who played six seasons in the NFL in the 1990s for the Packers, Cardinals, and Giants, is facing dog fighting and dog trafficking charges. The indictment was announced in late March. 

“Animal abuse is cruel, depraved, and deserves severe punishment,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and will remain committed to protecting innocent animals from those who would do them harm.”

Johnson allegedly raised “champion” (winners of three fights) and “grand champion” (winners of five fights) pit bulls and sold breeding rights to other dog fighters around the country through his “Mal Kant Kennels” organization. Prosecutors say Johnson’s trafficking led to the growth of the dog fighting industry and lined his own pockets. 

And this was not Johnson’s first brush with the law for dog fighting. In 2004, he pleaded guilty to state charges but did not serve prison time. 

“This strategic prosecution of an alleged repeat offender led to the seizure of 190 dogs destined for a cruel end. It disrupts a major source of dogs used in other dog fighting ventures,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). 

If convicted, Johnson faces up to five years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine. 

The FBI’s Shreveport Resident Agency office is investigating the case.