Ex-NFL RB LeShon Johnson sentenced to 5 years in federal prison for dogfighting

LeShon Johnson, a former NFL running back, was sentenced to five years in federal prison on September 10, 2026, for operating a large-scale dogfighting ring in Oklahoma. Johnson, 55, also received three years of supervised release and a $30,000 fine, according to ESPN's reporting.

Johnson played running back for three NFL teams from 1994 to 1999: the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals, and New York Giants. He was the 84th overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft, per CBS Sports. In his professional career, Johnson logged 955 rushing yards and five touchdowns across 62 games, including a best season in 1996 with the Cardinals when he rushed for 634 yards and three scores while averaging 4.5 yards per carry.

In August 2025, Johnson was convicted in Oklahoma federal court on six felonies: three counts of possessing a dog for use in animal fighting, two counts of selling a dog for use in animal fighting, and one count of sale, transport and delivery of a dog for use in animal fighting, according to ESPN. He operated the dogfighting operation as "Mal Kant Kennels" since at least 2007, breeding and trafficking pit bulls. According to ESPN, Johnson bred dogs designated as "champion and grand champion" fighting dogs, where a champion had won three fights and a grand champion had won five fights, then marketed and sold stud rights and offspring to other dogfighters seeking to incorporate the Mal Kant Kennels bloodline.

The Department of Justice stated that Johnson's dogfighting ring resulted in death and serious bodily injury to hundreds of pit bulls, per CBS Sports. After his conviction, Johnson surrendered 190 dogs to the government. According to the Department of Justice, this is the largest number of dogs seized from one individual in a federal dogfighting case, per ESPN.

Federal prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence based on sentencing guidelines and argued that Johnson exercised leadership authority over at least one other person in the operation, according to ESPN. However, Johnson's defense attorney, Billy Coyle IV, requested probation instead, arguing in a pre-sentence memorandum that Johnson should not receive incarceration. Coyle told ESPN that Johnson had remained out on bond for over two years during pretrial release with no infractions, did not drink or smoke, and had a daily caretaker, citing Johnson's medical conditions including severe dementia, Parkinson's disease, and multiple concussions and traumatic brain injuries from his football career, per ESPN.

Coyle told ESPN he was surprised by the length of the sentence and recommended that Johnson consider appealing, though a final decision has not been made. This sentencing follows a 2004 conviction in state court when Johnson pleaded guilty on dogfighting charges and received a five-year deferred sentence, according to Oklahoma court records cited by ESPN.

Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. stated, per ESPN, "LeShon Johnson will face justice for building another particularly egregious and violent dog fighting scheme. As Johnson was well aware, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. To anyone attempting to build violent and illicit business schemes: you can run, but you can't hide from the Department of Justice."