Former Dept. Of Defense Official Sentenced In Dogfighting Case

BALTIMORE, MD — A former U.S. Department of Defense official from Anne Arundel County will serve time in federal prison for his role in a multi-state dogfighting ring, prosecutors announced Thursday.

Frederick Moorefield Jr., 64, of Arnold, was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison followed by six months of home detention, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for Maryland. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and serve three years of supervised release.

When Moorefield was charged in this case, he was serving as the deputy chief information officer for command, control and communications for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

According to court documents, federal agents began investigating Moorefield’s connection to dogfighting after officers from Anne Arundel County Animal Control responded to a report of two dead dogs found in a plastic dog food bag in Annapolis in November 2018. Investigators found mail addressed to Moorefield inside the bag and a necropsy determined the dogs had wounds and scarring patterns consistent with dogfighting.

Investigators later determined Moorefield was affiliated with a dogfighting ring known as the “DMV Board,” which operated in and around Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. He operated under the kennel name “Geehad Kennels” and used his home in Arnold to keep, train and breed dogs for dogfighting for more than 20 years, the DOJ said.

According to court documents, a review of Moorefield’s phone and iCloud account showed numerous message exchanges regarding dogfighting with other members of the DMV Board. In addition to arranging fights and wagers, Moorefield and other members of the DMV Board discussed the breeding and training of fighting dogs, procuring supplies for the maintenance and feeding of fighting dogs, and criminal investigations and prosecutions of dogfighters.

Moorefield’s messages also contained several exchanges arranging — or "hooking" —dogfights. In these conversations, Moorefield would “call out a weight” by identifying the weight and sex of the dog he wanted to sponsor in the fight. Other dogfighters would then propose a fight against their dogs or match Moorefield with another contact who had a dog in the same weight class.

The dogfighters then agreed on wagers and set a date for the fight. In addition to stating the amount to be paid to the winner of the fight, dogfighters agreed on forfeit — or “fit” — payments to be made if a dogfighter backed out of the fight before the scheduled date.

After hooking a fight, Moorefield trained his dogs in a process known as a “keep.” Moorefield’s typical keep schedule for a dog involved physical training using treadmills, weighted collars, and other accessories, as well as a diet plan and the use of steroids.

According to prosecutors, Moorefield obtained steroids and other veterinary drugs through various contacts in his dogfighting network instead of through legitimate veterinary prescriptions.

When Moorefield sponsored a dog in a fight, the fight ended only when a dog died or when the owner forfeited the match, either through the dog “quitting” the fight or the owner “picking up” the dog.

According to court documents, if one of Moorefield’s dogs lost a fight but did not die, Moorefield killed the dog himself. One method Moorefield used to kill the dogs was using a device that consisted of jumper cables connected directly to an ordinary plug. Moorefield would then plug the device into a wall socket, attach the cables to the dog and electrocute it.

In September 2023, agents searched Moorefield’s home and recovered five pit bulls from large metal cages in a windowless room in the basement. Additionally, agents found several containers of animal medication, dog food and protein powder in the same room. They also found the jumper-cable device Moorefield used to kill dogs.

Authorities also seized a large blood-stained piece of carpet from a shed on the property. Prosecutors said Moorefield used the carpet as the floor of an arena to stage dogfights or “rolls,” brief test fights between dogs to evaluate a dog's fighting ability.

When interviewed by agents, Moorefield said he had only obtained four of the five dogs found at his home within the past week.

The fifth dog — which exhibited calloused skin, an old injury and fleas — was humanely euthanized after showing extreme aggression toward both human caretakers and other dogs.

Moorefield pleaded guilty in September to federal charges of conspiracy to engage in animal fighting, specifically the fighting of dogs, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

A month later, a federal grand jury returned a 10-count indictment charging Moorefield with conspiracy to engage in an animal fighting venture and other charges related to the dogfighting ring.