High-Ranking Pentagon Official Arrested for Operating a Dogfighting Ring for Two Decades

Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr. is a Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, and Communications at the Office of the US Secretary of Defense. He has now been apprehended and charged with operating a dogfighting ring for over 20 years.

This shocking news was confirmed by the Department of Justice’s press release.

Moorefield, along with his accomplice Mario Damon Flythe, ran their illicit operations under the pseudonyms “Geehad Kennels” and “Razor Sharp Kennels,” respectively.

The duo engaged in discussions about training methods, shared videos related to dogfighting, and coordinated dogfights.

They also indulged in betting on these brutal fights and circulated media reports about dogfighters who had been apprehended by law enforcement.

On September 6, 2023, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at the residences of Moorefield and Flythe in Maryland. A total of twelve dogs were recovered and seized by the federal government.

In addition, officers discovered veterinary steroids, training schedules, a blood-stained carpet, and a weighted dog vest bearing the patch “Geehad Kennels.” A device consisting of an electrical plug and jumper cables, suspected to be used for executing dogs that lost in fights, was also confiscated.

If found guilty, Moorefield and Flythe could each face a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for possessing, training, or transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture.

Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed the Defense Department was aware of the criminal complaint filed against Moorefield in federal district court in Baltimore.

The investigation into this dogfighting ring, known as “the DMV Board,” has been ongoing for years. Nine fellow dog fighters were indicted in Virginia last year, with eight pleading guilty and cooperating with investigators.

Members communicated on the “Telegram” messaging app about training fighting dogs, exchanging videos, arranging fights and wagers, and comparing methods of killing dogs who lost fights.

Online records maintained by the dogs’ owners showed that Moorefield had been involved in dogfighting since at least 2002. Evidence of Moorefield’s training for fights, or refereeing other owners’ dog fights, was found periodically over the years, including extensive messaging lining up fights and prize money.

Despite the arrests of others in the ring, some fights occurred earlier this year, indicating that Moorefield and Flythe were still active participants.

Moorefield’s profile has since been removed from the U.S. Department of Defense’s website. However, internet users managed to archive the page before it was deleted.

The Pentagon has confirmed that Moorefield is no longer in the workplace but refrained from commenting further on this individual personnel matter.