Ex-NFL player charged in nation’s largest dog fighting bust after Oklahoma raid

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — A former professional football player living in Oklahoma made his first court appearance last week after a 2024 raid allegedly revealed he was operating a dog fighting ring.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma (EDOK), Leshon Eugene Johnson of Broken Arrow was arrested after a raid on October 17, 2024, connected him to violations of the Animal Welfare Act.

Johnson reportedly possessed 190 “pit bull-type dogs” that he used for animal fighting, which were seized and “placed with an outside caregiver” after his arrest, court documents said.

A release from EDOK said the bust was the “most ever seized from a single person in a dog fighting case.”

Johnson’s ring was known as Mal Kant Kennels and operated out of Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma, the release said.

Johnson was allegedly breeding “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs, which are dogs that have won three to five fights. The offspring, which had traits desired by him and others for use in dog fights, were then sold.

Court documents said traits valued by dog fighters include gameness, or aggressiveness, willingness to keep fighting despite suffering trauma or mortal wounds, and endurance to fight for long periods of time.

“Dog fighting is a cruel, blood-thirsty venture, not a legitimate business or sporting activity,” U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma said. “I applaud the investigative work of the FBI and the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division in detecting and dismantling breeding operations which only serve to propagate this deplorable conduct.”

Johnson’s indictment, filed in January 2025, charges him with 20 counts of possession of a dog for use in an animal fighting venture and one count of sale, transport, and delivery of a dog for use in an animal fighting venture.

The indictment defines animal fighting ventures as “any event, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, that involves a fight conducted or to be conducted between at least two animals for the purposes of sport, wagering, or entertainment.”

The indictment said events related to the case go back as far as 2022, when Johnson allegedly sold the dog “War Pony/Dirty Mary.”

Some of Johnson’s other dogs named in the filing include “Boot Stomper” and “Hogg,” which reportedly won eight dog fights, an “unusually high number of wins in the dog fighting industry.”

Hogg was allegedly one of the dogs that had its stud rights marketed and sold to other dog fighters seeking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels bloodline in their own operations, the indictment said.

Court documents claimed Johnson contributed to the growth of the animal fighting industry and profited off of it.

Johnson was arraigned on March 20 and pleaded not guilty to all counts. He’s set to face a jury on May 5. Additionally, he is currently prohibited from possessing any pit bull breed.

If convicted, Johnson could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each count and a $250,000 fine, according to the release.

Johnson was previously charged with dog fighting at the state level after operating Krazyside Kennels. He pleaded guilty in Okmulgee County court in 2004.

Johnson is also an ex-NFL football player, having first been drafted to the Green Bay Packers in 1994 and going on to play for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.

FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi have both since weighed in on the case, saying that this kind of crime is not tolerated and deserves significant punishment.

“Animal abuse is cruel, depraved, and deserves severe punishment,” Bondi said. “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.”

“The FBI will not tolerate criminals that harm innocent animals for their twisted form of entertainment,” Patel added. “The FBI views animal cruelty investigations as a precursor to larger, organized crime efforts, similar to trafficking and homicides. This is yet another push in the FBI’s crackdown of violent offenders harming our most innocent.”

Animal Wellness Action, a national organization dedicated to advocating for animals, said the arrest was commendable and highlighted what it said were troublesome patterns.

“Dogfighting is perhaps the most sickening form of animal cruelty,” AWA President Wayne Pacelle said. “The scale of cruelty in this case is jarring to the core, and I commend the FBI and the DOJ for their hard, life-saving work.”

Pacelle linked the case to that of Michael Vick, a former NFL quarterback charged with running a dog fighting scheme in 2007, to which he later pleaded guilty.

“After the Michael Vick case, I thought the lessons would spillover to convince others — especially high-profile athletes — not to participate in this bloodsport. I was wrong. That’s why we need new and tougher legislation and government response,” Pacelle said.