Former NIU running back LeShon Johnson indicted on federal dog fighting charges

Former NIU running back LeShon Johnson was charged in connection to illegal dog fighting after federal authorities seized 190 dogs from his Oklahoma property, the U.S. Department of Justice announced this week.

Johnson was indicted by a federal grand jury after an investigation that involved the FBI and alleged violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. Authorities said the October seizure is believed to be the most dogs taken from a single person in a dog fighting case.

Johnson, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is charged with possessing 190 pit bull-type dogs to use for animal fighting, and selling, transporting and delivering a dog for animal fighting, according to a news release from the DOJ.

“Animal abuse is cruel, depraved, and deserves severe punishment,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a news release. “The Department of Justice will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and will remain committed to protecting innocent animals from those who would do them harm.”

It’s not the first time Johnson has been charged for illegal dog fights. In 2004, Johnson pleaded guilty to Oklahoma state charges for animal fighting, according to the release.

Johnson was inducted into the NIU Hall of Fame in 2003, playing for the football team in 1992 and 1993. He was the leading college rusher in his final season with the Huskies, running for 1,976 yards on 327 carries and averaging 179.6 yards per game. Johnson was sixth in the 1993 Heisman Trophy voting with five first-place votes.

He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1994 and played for the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants in his career.

Johnson ran for 3,314 yards in his NIU career, seventh all-time for the program despite only two seasons in DeKalb.

He made his first court appearance last week on the federal charges, authorities said.

Johnson ran a dog fighting operation known as Mal Kant Kennels in Broken Arrow and Haskell, Oklahoma, the indictment alleges. He previously ran Krazyside Kennels out of Oklahoma, which led to his 2004 conviction.

Authorities allege Johnson selectively bred “champion” and “grand champion” fighting dogs – dogs that have respectively won three or five fights – to produce offspring with fighting traits and abilities desired by him and others for use in dog fights.

Johnson marketed and sold stud rights and offspring from winning fighting dogs to other dog fighters looking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels bloodline into their dog fighting operations, according to the indictment.

Authorities allege Johnson’s actions, trafficking fighting dogs to other dog fighters across the country, contributed to the growth of the dog fighting industry and allowed Johnson to profit financially.

Dog fighting is illegal under federal law, including when it involves interstate commerce. It’s also illegal to to possess, train, transport, deliver, sell, purchase, or receive dogs for fighting purposes.

If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty on each count of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.