LeShon Johnson Sentenced to Five Years in Oklahoma Dogfighting Case
Former NFL Player LeShon Johnson Sentenced to Five Years in Oklahoma Dogfighting Case
Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for operating a large-scale dogfighting and trafficking operation in Oklahoma.
The LeShon Johnson dogfighting case resulted in the seizure of 190 pit bull-type dogs from Johnson, a Broken Arrow resident. Federal authorities say it was the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dogfighting case. Johnson was sentenced Thursday, September 10, to 60 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.
Johnson was convicted by a federal jury in August 2025 on six felony counts involving the possession and sale of dogs for use in animal fighting ventures.
LeShon Johnson Dogfighting Case Involved 190 Dogs Seized in Oklahoma
Federal investigators said Johnson operated a dogfighting business known as Mal Kant Kennels in Broken Arrow and Haskell and had been breeding and selling dogs for fighting since at least 2007.
Trial testimony showed Johnson selectively bred dogs described within dogfighting circles as "champions" and "grand champions," designations for dogs that had won multiple fights. Prosecutors said he then sold puppies from those bloodlines and charged stud fees to other dogfighters across the country. The operation generated hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the U.S. Department of Justice's sentencing announcement.
Federal authorities seized the 190 dogs in October 2024 under the Animal Welfare Act. Following his conviction, Johnson surrendered the dogs to the federal government, which pursued their forfeiture while the U.S. Marshals Service provided care through its asset forfeiture program.
The size of the seizure set a federal record. The Justice Department said no previous federal dogfighting case had resulted in that many dogs being seized from one individual.
The case was investigated by the FBI's New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency, with prosecutors from the Justice Department's Environmental Crimes Section and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma handling the case.
Federal Jury Convicted Johnson on Six Felony Dogfighting Counts
Johnson's sentencing followed a multi-day federal trial in Oklahoma. On August 1, 2025, jurors convicted him on three counts of possessing a dog for use in an animal fighting venture and three counts involving the sale of a dog for fighting purposes. The case was prosecuted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Justice Department's Environmental Crimes Division case summary details how prosecutors said Johnson marketed dogs and breeding rights to people involved in dogfighting operations around the country.
Thursday's sentence includes 60 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release and a $30,000 fine. The Justice Department initially published an incorrect prison term in its sentencing announcement before updating the release to confirm the sentence was 60 months.
It is not Johnson's first conviction involving dogfighting.
Johnson previously operated an Oklahoma kennel known as Krazyside Kennels. That operation resulted in his guilty plea to state animal fighting charges in 2004. Federal prosecutors said he later began operating Mal Kant Kennels and continued breeding and trafficking fighting dogs for years after the earlier conviction.
Federal law prohibits fighting dogs in ventures affecting interstate commerce as well as possessing, training, transporting, delivering, selling, purchasing or receiving dogs for fighting purposes. Those prohibitions are enforced under the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Former NFL Running Back Played Six Seasons Before Returning to Oklahoma
Before the federal criminal case, Johnson was known nationally for his football career.
The Oklahoma native starred at Northern Illinois University, where he finished sixth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1993 after rushing for 1,976 yards. The Green Bay Packers selected him in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft.
Johnson went on to play running back in the NFL for Green Bay, the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants, appearing in the league from 1994 through 1999.
His federal prosecution began publicly in March 2025 when an indictment was unsealed accusing him of possessing the 190 dogs for fighting purposes and trafficking dogs to others involved in the illegal activity. The Justice Department's original federal case announcement identified Mal Kant Kennels as operating in both Broken Arrow and Haskell and described the nationwide trafficking network investigators said Johnson had developed.
The federal jury's guilty verdict the following August resolved the criminal charges against Johnson, and Thursday's sentencing determines the prison term he will serve.
Johnson will now serve five years in federal prison, followed by three years under federal supervision.
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