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Anne Arundel County residents Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr. 62, of Arnold, and Mario Damon Flythe, 49, of Glen Burnie, have both been charged with promoting and furthering an animal fighting venture, federal authorities announced this week.
Moorefield, a Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, and Communications for Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Flythe used an encrypted messaging application to communicate with others across the country to discuss dogfighting, according to prosecutors.
Moorefield used the name “Geehad Kennels” and Flythe used the name “Razor Sharp Kennels” to identify their respective dogfighting operations.
During their discussions, they spoke about how to best train dogs for fights, shared videos about dogfighting, and coordinated matches.
"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," according to the indictment, which also made note they spoke about how to conceal their gambit from police.
In September, police executed search warrants at the duo's Maryland homes, which led to the recovery and seizure of:
- 12 dogs;
- Veterinary steroids;
- Training schedules;
- A carpet that appeared to be stained with blood;
- One weighted dog vest with a patch that said "Geehad Kennels;"
- A device containing an electrical plug and jumper cables which is allegedly "consistent with devices used to execute dogs that lose dogfights."
Both men were released after their initial court appearance pending their upcoming trial. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison.
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