LeShon Johnson, Charged With Federal Dogfighting

Former Arizona Cardinals running back LeShon Johnson may be sentenced to prison for allegedly leading a large dogfighting operation in Oklahoma.

The Department of Justice revealed Johnson’s 21-count indictment on Tuesday. 190 “pit bull-type” canines were taken from Johnson, according to a news release from the department. The number is “thought to be the largest number of dogs ever seized from a single person in a federal dog fighting case,” the department continued.

On March 20, Johnson was taken into custody and later freed on bond. He has been charged with felonies related to the possession and trafficking of canines for the purpose of animal fighting.

If found guilty, each of the 21 accusations carries a maximum sentence of five years in jail.

As a senior at Northern Illinois, Johnson placed sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was selected in the third round by the Green Bay Packers in 1994. Before making a splash with the Cardinals in 1996, he had little effect with the Packers. He had 141 carries for 634 yards and three touchdowns during the season. His battle with lymphoma cancer in 1998 would turn out to be the only noteworthy event of his NFL career.

Before finishing his football career in 2001 with the Chicago Enforcers of the XFL, Johnson played a portion of 1999 with the Giants. He was confronted with his first legal problems soon after that.

He was given a five-year deferred sentence after entering a guilty plea to state dogfighting charges in 2004. Oklahoma was also the location of that case. The charges against Johnson were so serious this time that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a statement.

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