The thought of dog fighting conjures up images of dirty back alleys and low-class people passing around cash to watch animals treated cruelly. What it doesn’t make one think of is high-ranking staffers at the Department of Defense — until now.
A senior communications official at the Pentagon has been arrested and charged in conjunction with his alleged involvement in a dog fighting ring in Maryland. Authorities arrested Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., 62, of Arnold, Md., last week for allegedly taking part in the ring, which feds say operated for over two decades. Moorefield and 49-year-old Mario Damon Flythe face charges of promoting and furthering an animal fighting venture.
Before you read further, please know that some of the details below might be disturbing to some readers.
“The ring regularly trained dogs for fights, ran thousands of dollars in bets on the outcomes, and executed dogs that didn’t die during matches, court records state,” the Washington Post reports.
The Post also notes that Moorefield “was a deputy chief information officer for command, control and communications for the Secretary of Defense’s Chief Information Officer, court records and Moorefield’s LinkedIn page show.” His LinkedIn account shows that he has (or had) been in his current position since 2020.
A release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland details how Moorefield and Flythe used an encrypted messaging service to communicate with others involved in the ring, which they nicknamed the “DMV Board.”
“Moorefield used the name ‘Geehad Kennels’ and Flythe used the name ‘Razor Sharp Kennels’ to identify their respective dogfighting operations,” the release details.
“Moorefield, Flythe, and their associates used the encrypted messaging application to discuss how to train dogs for illegal dogfighting, exchanged videos about dogfighting, and arranged and coordinated dogfights,” the release continues. “Moorefield and Flythe also discussed betting on dogfighting, discussed dogs that died as a result of dogfighting, and circulated media reports about dogfighters who had been caught by law enforcement. As further alleged in the affidavit, Moorefield and others also discussed how to conceal their conduct from law enforcement.”
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The Washington Post notes that nine other individuals were arrested last year for their involvement in the ring. Authorities found veterinary steroids, weighted dog vests and collars, training schedules, and insemination devices in the raid, along with a device for executing dogs that didn’t die in fights. Feds also seized a dozen dogs that Moorefield and Flythe had bred for fighting.
The investigation has apparently been going on for nearly five years. Authorities had received complaints about Moorefield for years, and when someone discovered two dead dogs in a bag near Moorefield’s home, the bag also contained mail with his address on it.
“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, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. He didn’t elaborate on whether Moorefield had been suspended or terminated or whether he had resigned or retired of his own accord.
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