Ex-NFL RB LeShon Johnson
Charged In Big Canine Preventing Bust
… 190 Pit Bulls Seized
Revealed March 26, 2025 11:31 AM PDT
Former NFL RB LeShon Johnson is dealing with years behind bars for allegedly operating an enormous canine preventing operation … marking the most important bust of its sort in U.S. historical past.
The Division of Justice introduced a 21-count indictment towards Johnson — who performed six seasons within the NFL — accusing the 54-year-old of possessing 190 “pit bull-type canines” for “use in an animal preventing enterprise.”
The DOJ says the animals, from Johnson’s “Mal Kant Kennels” in Oklahoma, had been seized in October 2024 — in what the Feds say was the biggest canine preventing bust in historical past.
Johnson, partly, is accused of strategically breeding “champion” pits — animals that received a number of fights towards different canines, to provide offspring that might additionally battle.
The case even caught the eye of the nation’s high regulation enforcement official, Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi, who heads the Dept. of Justice.
“Animal abuse is merciless, wicked, and deserves extreme punishment,” Bondi mentioned. “The Division of Justice will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the regulation and can stay dedicated to defending harmless animals from those that would do them hurt.”
Federal Bureau of Investigation honcho Kash Patel additionally weighed in on Johnson’s indictments.
“The FBI is not going to tolerate criminals that hurt harmless animals for his or her twisted type of leisure,” Patel mentioned.
“The FBI views animal cruelty investigations as a precursor to bigger, organized crime efforts, just like trafficking and homicides. That is one more push within the FBI’s crackdown of violent offenders harming our most harmless.”
Johnson made his preliminary courtroom look final week. He is dealing with as much as 5 years in jail for every rely he is charged with committing … which means he may doubtlessly do many years in jail, if convicted. He is additionally dealing with a six-figure nice.
This is not LeShon’s first run-in with the regulation over canine preventing. Again in 2004, he pled responsible to state animal preventing fees for his function in operating “Krazyside Kennels.” He acquired a deferred sentence.
Johnson’s soccer profession began at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M School, after which with the Northern Illinois Huskies … the place he turned the fifth all-time rush chief on the faculty. He was a 1993 Heisman Trophy candidate.
LJ was chosen within the third spherical of the 1994 NFL Draft and performed for the Packers, Cardinals, and Giants. Johnson recorded 955 dashing yards and 7 dashing touchdowns as a professional.
Johnson is due again in courtroom in mid-April … with the trial slated to start out on Might 5.
