Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr., the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, and Communications, for the Office of the Secretary of Defense was charged today with multiple counts of animal cruelty and promoting and furthering an animal fighting venture in a gut-wrenching federal indictment in Baltimore, Maryland. Moorfield is accused of orchestrating and concealing a massive dog fighting ring, where he and his co-defendants executed the losing dogs with jumper cables and much more. 

The criminal complaint was filed on September 21, 2023, and was unsealed at the defendants’ initial appearances on September 28, 2023. At their initial appearance, U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Mark Coulson ordered that the defendants be released pending trial under the supervision of U.S. Pretrial Services.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, 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 individuals throughout the United States to discuss dogfighting. Moorefield used the name “Geehad Kennels” and Flythe used the name “Razor Sharp Kennels” to identify their respective dogfighting operations.

Unfortunately, if he gets convicted, he will only face a maximum of five years in Federal prison. The details of this case are extremely disturbing and highly unusual for an official of this status. 

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. 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. On September 6, 2023, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at Moorefield and Flythe’s residences in Maryland. Following the execution of these warrants, twelve dogs were recovered and seized by the federal government. Law enforcement also recovered veterinary steroids, training schedules, a carpet that appeared to be stained with blood, and a weighted dog vest with a patch reading “Geehad Kennels.” In addition, law enforcement officers seized a device consisting of an electrical plug and jumper cables, which the affidavit alleges is consistent with devices used to execute dogs that lose dogfights.

To say that this is disgusting is offensive to all things disgusting. What Moorfield is accused of makes every dog owner, especially me, purple with rage. There is nothing in this world that I would not do for my beautiful dogs. I have two Labrador Retrievers, one Black Lab named Diesel, and the other a White Lab named Lexi and they are part of my family. I cannot imagine my life without them and my wife and kids feel the same. To see this, and the details surrounding this case makes me seriously question why the punishments are so low.  These poor dogs were abused in a way that flies in the face of common decency.

Dogs are known as man's best friend, and they truly do meet that definition. My first dog ever was a King Shepherd named Stryker. We rescued him from a local rescue when he was just three years old. He became my rock when I needed one, as I was going through a very stressful time in my life. He never left my side and I his, he went with me everywhere I could take him. When I walked inside the house, he would take my hand in his mouth sometimes and lead me to the couch where we could hug and I could pet him. We lost Stryker in 2019 at the height of the COVID lockdowns; he died in my arms and I never felt so devastated. I am not a crying man, there are a very few times where I have shed a tear for anyone, let alone an animal; but I cried for him. 

Reading the details of this case makes me question Moorfield's humanity at the basic level. Yes, he is absolutely innocent until proven guilty, but there is a mountain of evidence against him and I personally think he is guilty as hell. I cannot say here what I think his punishment should be, but we all know and agree on what I am thinking. Hopefully, justice will be done here if he's found guilty. but we all know nothing the courts can do to this "man" would be good enough.