Former NFL player LeShon Johnson sentenced to 5 years in prison for running major dogfighting ring

TULSA, Okla. –Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson of Broken Arrow was sentenced Thursday to 5 years in federal prison for his role in operating a large-scale dogfighting and trafficking operation.

Johnson was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine after being convicted at trial of six felony dogfighting-related charges.

Testimony showed Johnson had been running the operation since at least 2007. Prosecutors said he bred and sold fighting dogs and their offspring under the name “Mal Kant Kennels.” He previously operated “Krazyside Kennels” and pleaded guilty to Oklahoma dogfighting offenses in 2004.

The jury found Johnson guilty in August 2025 after more than eight hours of deliberations in Muskogee. He was convicted of violating multiple provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act, including possessing, selling, transporting and delivering animals for fighting ventures.

Authorities seized 190 dogs from Johnson’s Broken Arrow-area property in 2023. The Department of Justice said it was the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single individual in a federal dogfighting case. The dogs have since been surrendered to the government, with the U.S. Marshals Service overseeing their care as part of an asset forfeiture proceeding.

Prosecutors said Johnson trafficked hundreds of dogs for dogfighting around the country and profited from the operation through the sale of puppies from fighting bloodlines and stud fees. Those sales generated hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to evidence presented at trial.

The jury also heard that Johnson advertised some dogs as “champions” and “grand champions,” meaning they had won three or five fights, respectively. Prosecutors presented videos of dogfights, graphic photos of injured animals and evidence of Johnson’s communications about breeding and dog semen sales.

**Screen grab of a video sent by Johnson of one of his dogs.**

“LeShon Johnson will face justice for building another particularly egregious and violent dog fighting scheme,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “As Johnson was well aware, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. To anyone attempting to build violent and illicit business schemes: you can run, but you can’t hide from the Department of Justice.”

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“LeShon Johnson continued to traffic dogs for illegal fighting despite a 2004 state conviction for similar conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division.

“The defendant operated a business which promoted and profited from animal cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for their work to investigate this case and hold Mr. Johnson accountable for his crimes.”

“The animals in this case were defenseless and the defendant used them to harm each other for his entertainment,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office.

The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office and Shreveport Resident Agency investigated the case.

“The FBI will not stand for those who perpetuate the despicable crime of dogfighting,” said Director Kash Patel of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, those who continue to engage in organized animal fighting and cruelty will face justice.”

Johnson’s attorney previously argued that syringes and other items seized during the investigation were used for legitimate canine care and accused prosecutors of bias against pit bulls.