Former Department of Defense Official from Maryland Pleads Guilty in Dogfighting Case

BALTIMORE, MD News (9/15/2024) – Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr., 63, of Arnold, Maryland, pleaded guilty on September 13, 2024, to federal charges of conspiracy to engage in dogfighting and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. The case marks a significant development in a long-standing investigation into organized dogfighting in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The guilty plea was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, alongside officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General, and other law enforcement agencies involved in the case.

The investigation into Moorefield began in November 2018, when Anne Arundel County Animal Control responded to a report of two deceased dogs found in a plastic dog food bag in Annapolis, Maryland. Investigators found mail addressed to Moorefield in the bag, and further analysis indicated that the dogs had been used in dogfighting.

According to court documents, Moorefield was affiliated with a dogfighting group known as the “DMV Board,” which operated in and around Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Moorefield, operating under the kennel name “Geehad Kennels,” was involved in breeding, training, and fighting dogs for over 20 years.

Federal investigators reviewed Moorefield’s phone and iCloud accounts, which contained numerous messages arranging dogfights and discussing breeding practices for fighting dogs. Moorefield and other members of the DMV Board communicated about organizing fights, placing wagers, and discussing ongoing criminal investigations into dogfighting activities.

Moorefield engaged in dogfighting through a practice known as “hooking,” where he would identify a dog for a fight based on weight and sex. Arrangements were made with other dogfighters, with matches set several weeks in advance. Fights only ended when one of the dogs died or when the owner forfeited by withdrawing their dog.

Training practices involved rigorous physical exercises, dietary regimens, and the use of steroids. Veterinary drugs, often obtained through illicit channels, were used to enhance the dogs’ performance.

In cases where Moorefield’s dogs lost but did not die in the fight, he would sometimes kill them using a device made from jumper cables and an electrical outlet. This method was confirmed by evidence recovered during a search of Moorefield’s residence.

Moorefield was arrested in September 2023, following a search of his home. Law enforcement agents found five pitbull-type dogs kept in large cages, along with various supplies related to dogfighting. A jumper-cable device used to electrocute dogs and a blood-stained carpet used during dogfights were also discovered. One of the dogs was in such poor condition that it had to be humanely euthanized.

Moorefield had been serving as the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, and Communications in the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the time of his arrest.

Moorefield faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for conspiring to engage in dogfighting. His sentencing is scheduled for December 2, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.

U.S. Attorney Barron praised the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, USDA, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Anne Arundel County authorities, for their work in bringing the case to justice.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and Darryl Tarver are leading the prosecution in the case.

Story by multiple RFHC contributors