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A former top Pentagon official has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for his involvement in a multistate dogfighting ring, where he tortured losing dogs.
What’s the deal: In an announcement by the Department of Justice, Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., the former Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command and control for the Secretary of Defense, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for his role in a violent multistate dogfighting ring. Moorefield used his home in Arnold, Maryland, to operate “Geehad Kennels,” where he bred, trained, and prepared dogs for brutal dogfights organized by the DMV Board, a dogfighting network spanning Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. For over 20 years, Moorefield used treadmills, weighted collars, and steroid regimens to train dogs for these fights, which only ended when a dog died or a handler called the fight. When his dogs lost, Moorefield used a homemade device made of jumper cables and a standard plug to electrocute the animals, ensuring a cruel and gruesome end.
During raids of his home, police uncovered evidence of Moorefield’s operation, which included blood-stained carpets used for fighting arenas, cages housing pit-bull-type dogs in a windowless basement, and a variety of medications and equipment designed to enhance the dogs’ aggression and endurance. Messages retrieved from his devices revealed that he orchestrated dogfight wagers, arranged fights, and actively discussed breeding and training techniques with other members of the dogfighting ring.
Investigators also uncovered a web of financial transactions that Moorefield used to support and profit from the dogfighting operation. Between 2019 and 2023, Moorefield sent and received payments through CashApp, often disguising the nature of these transactions with misleading labels, such as a $1,000 payment described as a “housewarming gift” from a known dogfighter. These funds were used to wager on fights, procure steroids, and sustain the operations of his kennel.
In addition to 18 months in federal prison, Moorefield was sentenced to six months of home detention, a $20,000 fine, and a forfeiture judgment of $21,576 for his role in the dogfighting ring. The judge overseeing his case also imposed three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
