Pentagon official charged with running dog fighting ring from his home

Electrical equipment and jumper cables “consistent with devices used to execute dogs” were found in the home of a senior Pentagon administrator during a federal dog fighting raid.

Frederick D. Moorefield, Jr., who worked as a Deputy Chief Information Officer in the Pentagon, was charged last week with promoting and furthering an animal fighting venture after federal agents raided his Arnold, Maryland home outside of Washington D.C on Sept. 6. Moorefield, 62, called his dogfighting operation “Geehad Kennels,” according to a Department of Justice release. He is accused of possessing, training, or transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture along with a second Maryland man, Mario Flythe, 49, of Glen Burnie.

According to the DOJ, the two men used an encrypted messaging application to communicate with individuals throughout the United States to discuss dogfighting, Moorefield operating as Geehad Kennels, and Flythe a Razor Sharp Kennels.

Investigators said the two men “shared messages on how to train dogs for illegal dogfighting, exchanged videos about dogfighting, and arranged and coordinated dogfights. Moorefield and Flythe also discussed betting on dogfighting, discussed dogs that died as a result of dogfighting, and circulated media reports about dogfighters who had been caught by law enforcement.”

Moorefield and others also discussed how to keep their dog fighting secret.

At Moorefield’s home, officials say they recovered twelve dogs along with “veterinary steroids, training schedules, a carpet that appeared to be stained with blood, and a weighted dog vest with a patch reading ‘Geehad Kennels.'”

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They also found the electrical equipment and jumper cables, which they said are often used to kill dogs that lose fights.

The Defense Department is aware of the criminal complaint filed against Moorefield, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, a Pentagon spokesman.

“We can confirm that the individual is no longer in the workplace, but we cannot comment further on an individual personnel matter,” Gorman said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “I refer you to the Department of Justice for any inquiries.”

Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh had no further information about Moorefield when asked repeatedly during a Tuesday news briefing whether he is still employed by the Defense Department.

Singh also was unable to say what kind of security clearance Moorefield has or whether officials should have caught red flags about his alleged role in dog fighting during the background check for his clearance. The position of Deputy Chief Information Officer is currently vacant, Singh told reporters on Tuesday.

Moorefield was the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Command, Control, and Communications for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, although that position is now listed on the Pentagon’s website as filled by a different person in an “acting” role.

According an online organizational chart, the Pentagon has close to 20 Deputy Chief Information Officers spread around the numerous administrative offices under the Secretary of Defense. A department website describes the role of a DCIO as “a role within some organizations that generally has responsibility for overseeing day-to-day information technology (IT) operations.”

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Moorefield’s specific position was to “provide strategic direction, policy guidance, and oversight to enable the Department to effectively define, prioritize, acquire, govern, manage, and implement C3 capabilities in support of DoD operations.”

Moorefield’s bio appeared to have been removed from Pentagon websites but a cached version of it said he attended college in Ohio and was hired in 1989 in a civil service role at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. He worked there for 19 years in research and development and acquisitions before moving on to a series of information technology positions that led to his Pentagon role. 

Both Moorefield and Flythe face charges with maximum penalties of five years in prison.

The investigation included the FBI, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, Anne Arundel County Animal Control, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

UPDATE: 10/03/2023; this story was updated with comments from Navy Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman and Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh.

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