In what officials say is the largest federal dog fighting seizure involving a single individual, 190 pit bull-type dogs were confiscated from an Oklahoma man now facing federal charges, federal authorities announced Tuesday.
A grand jury in the Eastern District of Oklahoma indicted Leshon Eugene Johnson of Broken Arrow for violating federal dog fighting laws. He’s accused of possessing dogs for use in animal fighting ventures and of selling, transporting, and delivering a dog for the same purpose.
If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
Federal agents seized the dogs in October 2024 under the Animal Welfare Act. According to court records, Johnson ran a large-scale dog fighting operation under the name “Mal Kant Kennels” in Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma. He had previously pleaded guilty to state charges in 2004 for running another operation called “Krazyside Kennels.”
Authorities say Johnson bred and sold so-called “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs with multiple wins and profited by marketing their bloodlines to other dog fighters nationwide.
FBI Director Kash Patel called dog fighting “a twisted form of entertainment” and noted the bureau treats such cruelty as a potential gateway to organized crime.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said the seizure of 190 dogs “disrupts a major source” of animals trafficked into other fighting operations.
U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson added, “Dog fighting is not a sport — it’s a cruel and bloodthirsty enterprise.”
Under federal law, it is illegal to fight dogs in ventures affecting interstate commerce or to possess, train, sell, or transport dogs for fighting purposes.
The FBI’s Shreveport Resident Agency office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Sarah Brown and Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.