A Department of Defense communications reputable has been charged with operating a dogfighting ring that operated for a few years and wherein 1000’s of greenbacks have been wager on violent fits, federal prosecutors in Maryland stated this week.
The reputable, Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., 62, of Arnold, Md., used to be a deputy leader information officer for command, keep an eye on and communications, in step with a testimony filed in U.S. District Court in Baltimore and Mr. Moorefield’s ConnectedIn web page, which stated he have been with the dep. for 11 years.
According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland, Mr. Moorefield and any other defendant, Mario Damon Flythe, 49, of Anne Arundel County, Md., communicated the usage of encrypted messaging programs to talk about find out how to educate canines for unlawful dogfighting, to coordinate dogfights, to talk about making a bet on dogfighting and to talk about canines that had died as a results of dogfighting.
Mr. Moorefield and Mr. Flythe, a barber, used the names “Geehad Kennels” and “Razor Sharp Kennels” to spot their dogfighting operations, in step with the affidavit, which used to be ready by way of Special Agent Ryan C. Daly of the F.B.I. They additionally mentioned with others around the United States find out how to disguise their habits from regulation enforcement.
Mr. Moorefield have been fascinated with dogfighting for approximately 20 years, in step with the affidavit. An informant cited within the report stated that he had entered a canine into a battle in opposition to one in every of Mr. Moorefield’s canines “in or around 2009.” According to information of communications cited within the report, Mr. Moorefield used to be “canvassing his dogfighting associates” to seek out contenders to arrange different fights.
Special Agent Daly cited a list of preventing canines beneath the “Geehad” title that dated again to 2002 and confirmed canines that belonged to Mr. Moorefield and others in dogfighting circles.
The two males are accused of shopping for, promoting, handing over, possessing, coaching or transporting animals for participation in an animal preventing project; the usage of the postal provider or different interstate instrumentality for selling or furthering an animal preventing project; and attractive in a conspiracy to sponsor or showcase an animal in an animal preventing project.
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 preventing project.
Mr. Moorefield and Mr. Flythe seemed in federal court docket in Baltimore on Thursday and have been launched pending trial. Neither may well be reached for touch upon Tuesday.
Law enforcement officials performed seek warrants on the Maryland properties 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 form of tool that has been used to execute canines that lose dogfights.
According to court docket paperwork, Anne Arundel County Animal Control spoke back in November 2018 to a document of 2 useless canines discovered with wounds and scarring patterns in keeping with dogfighting in a plastic bag about six miles from Mr. Moorefield’s space. The bag additionally contained mail addressed to Mr. Moorefield.
The Pentagon stated in a observation that it used to be acutely aware of the prison criticism within the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. “We can confirm that the individual is no longer in the workplace, but we cannot comment further on an individual personnel matter,” Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman stated.
The fees stemmed from proof accrued from the August 2022 indictments of 7 different defendants who have been a part of discussion groups on protected messaging apps that went beneath the names of “the DMV Board” or “the Board” and have been used to arrange canine fights, the affidavit stated. Six of the defendants have pleaded to blame to fees associated with dogfighting.
Dogfighting is a game the place canines are bred for aggressiveness and compelled to battle one any other for the leisure and benefit of spectators, in step with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or A.S.P.C.A., which estimates that loads of 1000’s of canines are pressured to coach, battle and undergo yearly.
In 2019, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act used to be signed into regulation making intentional acts of animal cruelty federal crimes that raise consequences of as much as seven years in jail. Federal regulation had already banned sponsoring animal fights, however the 2019 regulation used to be handed to assist prosecutors deal with circumstances of abused animals that go state traces, in step with animal rights teams.
Stacy Wolf, a senior vp on the A.S.P.C.A., stated that this situation demonstrated that dogfighting is a lot more not unusual than many of us notice. She stated that reinforced dogfighting rules have been encouraging, however that extra development had to be made.
“Law enforcement is far less likely to investigate and intervene in animal fighting operations when they are unsure if animal protection agencies can bear the cost and burden of caring for seized animals, which means fewer animals saved,” Ms. Wolf stated.
Dogfighting is a public protection possibility, she added, related to criminality together with unlawful playing and ownership of substances and firearms.
Alain Delaquérière contributed analysis and Johnny Diaz contributed reporting.