A senior member of the Pentagon’s communications staff is among two Anne Arundel County men charged with promoting and furthering an illegal dogfighting operation, according to a federal criminal complaint unsealed Thursday.

Frederick Douglass Moorefield Jr., 62, of Arnold, and Mario Damon Flythe, 49, of Glen Burnie, and their associates used encrypted messaging “to discuss how to train the dogs for illegal dogfighting, exchanged videos about dogfighting, and arranged and coordinated dogfights,” Department of Justice officials said in a news release Monday. Moorefield operated under the name “Geehad Kennels,” and Flythe under the name “Razor Sharp Kennels” to describe their respective dogfighting operations, the complaint states.

The complaint, announced by U.S. Attorney Erek Barron, also alleges that Moorefield and Flythe used the encrypted messaging application to discuss betting on fights, dogs that died as a result of fighting, and how to conceal their operation from police. They also shared media reports about dogfighters caught by law enforcement, authorities say.

The news release identified Moorefield as a deputy chief information officer for command, control and communications for the Office of the Secretary of Defense; he and Flythe were released pending trial. If convicted, each faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for possessing, training or transporting animals for an animal fighting operation.

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Law enforcement officers who executed search warrants Sept. 6 at the homes of Moorefield and Flythe recovered 12 dogs. Also found in that search were veterinary steroids, training schedules, carpet with apparent bloodstains, a weighted dog vest with a patch that read “Geehad Kennels,” and a makeshift electrical device typically used to kill dogs that lose fights, according to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Marshals Service and Anne Arundel County Police. The two men charged are being supervised by U.S. Pretrial Services.

Asked about Moorefield’s employment status, Tim Gorman, a media relations officer for the Defense Department, said in a statement Monday night: “We are aware of the criminal complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. We can confirm that the individual is no longer in the workplace, but we cannot comment further on an individual personnel matter.” He referred further questions to the Department of Justice.

According to Moorefield’s LinkedIn biography, he had served in his most recent position at the Pentagon since March 2020. He previously served as acting deputy director to the chief information officer for command, control, communications and computers and information infrastructure capabilities (C4IIC) in Arlington, Virginia. He listed himself as a director of spectrum policy and international engagements from 2012 to the present and as director of strategic planning at the Air Force Spectrum Management Office at Fort Meade from 2008 to 2012.

Moorefield holds a master’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Dayton and a bachelor’s in mathematics from Wilberforce University, his LinkedIn profile states.

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As of early Tuesday, Moorefield’s staff bio no longer appeared on a list of senior Defense Department information officers.

hugo.kugiya@thebaltimorebanner.com

Hugo Kugiya

Hugo.Kugiya@thebaltimorebanner.com

Hugo Kugiya

Hugo Kugiya is a reporter for the Express Desk and has formerly reported for the Associated Press, Newsday, and the Seattle Times.

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