By John Dobberstein, Editor
Former NFL running back and Broken Arrow resident LeShon Johnson was found guilty of 6 federal charges related to a dogfighting operation that prosecutors said he was running.
A jury returned the guilty verdicts Friday after nearly 2 days of deliberations in U.S. District Court in Muskogee, but he was not found guilty on 16 other counts stemming from his indictment in March.
The trial in U.S. District Court began earlier this week, as federal prosecutors introduced a myriad of evidence they say links Johnson to conducting a dogfighting enterprise.
Johnson’s lawyers contended Johnson has always been a dog breeder and he was not guilty of the charges.
Johnson was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year after authorities seized more than 190 dogs at his home in Broken Arrow and in a large field near Haskell. Investigators said it was the largest federal dogfighting seizure ever.
Prosecutors said Johnson, 54, was allegedly running and profiting from dogfighting enterprises in Broken Arrow and Haskell through Mal Kant Kennels. He pleaded not guilty.
After an illustrious career in college football Johnson had a short career in the NFL before retiring. This was the second time in 20 years Johnson has been the subject of dogfighting charges.
Johnson and 30 others were hit with a variety of charges related to dogfighting in 2004 after dozens of dogs were seized from Johnson’s possession at his residence in Tulsa and other locations. Johnson, according to court records, previously ran “Krazyside Kennels,” also out of Oklahoma, which led to his guilty plea on state animal fighting charges in 2005.
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