Dogfighting Suspect From Anne Arundel Sentenced, Ran Ring With Pentagon Official: DOJ

GLEN BURNIE, MD — A Glen Burnie man was recently sentenced for his role in a multistate dogfighting ring, which also involved a Pentagon official, prosecutors said.

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Mario Damon Flythe, 50, to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention followed by three years of supervised release. Flythe must also pay a $10,000 fine and an additional $2,800 in forfeiture money judgment, a press release announced last Friday.

Flythe pleaded guilty in July 2024 to federal charges of conspiracy to engage in animal fighting and interstate travel in aid of racketeering, an earlier release said.

The Department of Justice said Flythe is affiliated with the same dogfighting enterprise as co-defendant Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr.

Authorities said Moorefield, a 64-year-old Arnold resident who worked for the secretary of defense, was sentenced last month to 18 months in federal prison, six months of home detention and a $20,000 fine.

Moorefield pleaded guilty in September 2024 to the same charges as Flythe, the prosecution said.

The DOJ said the dogfighting ring, known as the "DMV Board," organized fights based on weight and sex and discussed operations in messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.

After setting dates and wagers, prosecutors said Flythe trained dogs for six to eight weeks using treadmills, weighted collars, diet plans and steroids. Flythe is accused of obtaining the steroids through the dogfighting network, not legitimate veterinary prescriptions.

The DOJ said fights only ended after a dog died, quit the fight or was picked up by the owner. Flythe received payments through CashApp for dogfighting activities several times between 2019 and 2023, authorities alleged.

Investigators said they searched Flythe's home on Sept. 6, 2023, and recovered seven pitbull-type dogs from the premises.

Authorities said they found four dogs chained to poles in fenced-in cages in the backyard and three dogs in large metal cages in the basement.

Flythe acknowledged that he bred and/or trained dogs to sponsor them for fights, prosecutors said.

The DOJ alleged that the at-home kennel, called "Razor Sharp Kennels," was used to keep, train and breed dogs for dogfighting for several years.