BALTIMORE, Md. — Frederick Douglass Moorefield, Jr., 63, of Arnold, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to charges of conspiracy to engage in dogfighting and interstate travel in aid of racketeering, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland and several federal law enforcement agencies.
Moorefield admitted to operating under the kennel name “Geehad Kennels” and using his home in Arnold as a base for breeding, training, and fighting dogs for over 20 years. His participation in dogfighting involved sponsoring violent matches that only ended when a dog died or when a fighter forfeited. He also admitted to electrocuting dogs that lost fights using a homemade device made from jumper cables attached to a wall socket.
The investigation into Moorefield’s involvement began in 2018 after the discovery of two dead dogs in Annapolis, Maryland, both with injuries consistent with dogfighting. Investigators linked Moorefield to the DMV Board, a dogfighting ring that operated across Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Several other members of the DMV Board have been previously convicted on similar charges.
Evidence from Moorefield’s phone and iCloud account revealed extensive conversations with other dogfighters, arranging fights, training routines, and steroid use for the dogs. He also made and received payments related to dogfighting through CashApp, often disguising transactions with misleading descriptions.
Moorefield faces sentencing for his crimes, with federal penalties likely due to the severity of his involvement in the illegal enterprise.
