Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson has been convicted on six felonies for his role in the biggest federal dog-fighting bust of all time.
An Oklahoma federal jury found Johnson, 54, guilty of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act’s prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting, and delivering animals to be used in fights, the US Department of Justice announced on Monday.
The conviction stems from Johnson’s arrest in March following a huge raid that led to the recovery of 190 pit bulls.
The FBI believe it was the largest seizure of fighting dogs from a single individual in US history.
Johnson, who played for the Green Bay Packers , Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants over the course of his six-year career, was accused of running a large-scale breeding and trafficking operation known as ‘Mal Kant Kennels’ while also raising fighting dogs himself.
Following last week’s guilty verdict, Johnson was forced to surrender his dogs to the government, which will be cared for by the United States Marshals Service.