Pentagon Deputy CIO Frederick Moorefield Indicted on Federal Dogfighting Charges

A senior Department of Defense official and a co-defendant face federal charges for allegedly operating a dogfighting ring in the Washington, D.C., area for more than two decades, NPR reported. Frederick Moorefield Jr., 62, a deputy chief information officer for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Mario Flythe, 49, were charged with "promoting and furthering" dogfighting. Moorefield and Flythe were indicted on Oct. 3, 2023, on 10 felonies each, including conspiracy. If convicted, Moorefield could face up to five years in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors allege the scheme stretched back more than 20 years. Moorefield had allegedly been involved in dogfighting "since at least 2002," according to an affidavit by FBI Special Agent Ryan C. Daly. Moorefield and Flythe allegedly used an encrypted messaging app to talk with people across the country about dogfighting bets, dogs that died from dogfighting, and media reports about people charged with dogfighting, the U.S. attorney's office said. The two men also allegedly discussed how to train dogs for dogfighting, planned dogfights, and talked about how to evade law enforcement. Moorefield and Flythe used the monikers "Geehad Kennels" and "Razor Sharp Kennels," respectively, to identify their operations.

The investigation produced substantial physical evidence. Law enforcement officers executed search warrants on the defendants' Maryland residences and recovered 12 dogs, veterinary steroids, training schedules, and an electrical plug and jumper cables believed to have been used to execute dogs that lost fights. According to the indictment, thousands of dollars would be bet on some matches, which often ended with the losing animal put to death. The FBI had reportedly been investigating the alleged ring, which called itself the "DMV Board," for years, according to the affidavit. At their arraignment on Oct. 6, both defendants pleaded not guilty to all charges before U.S. District Magistrate Judge A. David Copperthite in Baltimore.

Moorefield was responsible for issuing guidance on Defense Department policy and technical issues, and for strategizing communication plans related to the agency's "non-nuclear strategic strike" and "integrated missile defense," among other responsibilities. Moorefield joined the Defense Department in 1989 in a civil service role in the Air Force and worked for 19 years on research and development and acquisition at Wright Patterson Air Force Base Air Force Research Labs. According to a Defense Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Moorefield was on what is known as "terminal leave" from the department and was preparing to retire in the weeks leading up to his arrest.

The Defense Department said in a statement, "We are aware of the criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland." Moorefield did not appear on the agency's website following the charges. At their initial court appearance, a federal judge ordered both defendants released pending trial.

References

[1] NPR. (2023, October 03). A top Pentagon official is charged with promoting dogfighting. https://www.npr.org/2023/10/03/1203434183/department-of-defense-deputy-dogfighting

[2] The Washington Post. (2023, October 04). Defense Department official Frederick Moorefield charged in dogfighting ring. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/10/02/moorefield-charged-dog-fighting-department-defense/

[3] NBC News. (2023, October 03). Senior Defense Department official charged with helping run dogfights. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/senior-defense-department-official-charged-helping-run-dogfights-rcna118647

[4] The Daily Record. (2023, October 04). Pentagon official among 2 Md. residents indicted on dogfighting charges. https://thedailyrecord.com/2023/10/04/pentagon-official-among-2-md-residents-indicted-on-dogfighting-charges/

[5] DefenseScoop. (2023, October 03). Pentagon's former deputy CIO for C3 was on 'terminal leave' at time of dogfighting arrest. https://defensescoop.com/2023/10/03/pentagons-former-deputy-cio-for-c3-was-on-terminal-leave-at-time-of-dogfighting-arrest/

[6] Nextgov/FCW. (2023, October 05). Defense tech official charged in dogfighting ring indictment. https://www.nextgov.com/people/2023/10/defense-tech-official-charged-dogfighting-ring-indictment/390885/