On October 3, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrest of a high-ranking Defense Department official. Frederick Moorefield, along with another individual, was apprehended in Maryland on allegations related to the facilitation and advancement of a dog fighting operation. Various sources indicated that this illicit venture involved the inhumane treatment of dogs that were unsuccessful in fights, resulting in their tragic demise.
The Deputy Chief Information Officer, aged 62, was apprehended alongside his associate Mario Flythe on allegations of endorsing the dog fighting operation dating back to 2002. According to the criminal affidavit, law enforcement rescued 12 pit bull dogs during the execution of search warrants at the residences of these individuals.
At their homes, authorities discovered items such as electrical jumper cables and specialized training equipment solely intended for the unfortunate euthanization of dogs that were defeated in fights. Additionally, veterinary steroids and a device for breeding female dogs were also recovered.
The affidavit, authored by FBI agent Ryan Daly, outlined the ongoing investigation into the dog fighting operation known as the “DMV Board,” involving Flythe and Moorefield. Within this document, Daly disclosed that in 2018, law enforcement officers discovered two deceased dogs concealed within bags of dog food near Moorefield’s residence.
Moorefield and Flythe utilized an encrypted messaging application as a means of clandestine communication to evade detection by law enforcement. Through this application, both individuals exchanged information pertaining to dog fighting, including event dates, advice, and training aspects associated with this illicit activity.
Additionally, it was disclosed by the newspaper that the two men employed code names to conceal their involvement in these operations, with Flythe adopting “Razor Sharp Kennels” and Moorefield adopting “Geehad Kennels” as their aliases.
In an interview with Fox News, Lieutenant Commander Timothy Gorman, the spokesperson for the US Defense Department, verified that Moorefield is no longer affiliated with the Department of Defense. Nevertheless, he did not specify the exact date of Moorefield’s official separation from the department.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), in a formal statement, indicated that during the search of Moorefield’s residence, law enforcement discovered a carpet stained with blood and a dog vest with added weight, bearing a patch that linked it to Moorefield’s code name.
