Former NFL player LeShon Johnson was charged with allegedly operating a large dogfighting venture after 190 “pit bull-type dogs” were seized from him in October 2024 – believed to be the most even taken from one person in a federal dogfighting investigation, the Department of Justice said.
According to court documents, Johnson operated “Mal Kant Kennels” in Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. In addition to the possession of the 190 dogs, Johnson is charged with selling, transporting, and delivering a dog for use in an animal fighting venture. Johnson allegedly bred dogs that won fights, selling the stud rights and offspring to other dogfighters across the country.
“Dog fighting is a cruel, blood-thirsty venture, not a legitimate business or sporting activity,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
Raised in Oklahoma, Johnson was an All-American running back at Northern Illinois, leading the nation with 1,976 rushing yards in 1993 to finish sixth in Heisman Trophy voting. Johnson was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 1994 draft and played his last game in 1999, totaling five rushing touchdowns in his NFL career with the Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants.
In 2004, Johnson pleaded guilty to state animal fighting charges in Oklahoma and was given a five-year deferred sentence.
“Dog fighting is illegal, and courts have upheld its prosecution time and again,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “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.”
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