Former Giants running back LeShon Johnson has been convicted on six felony counts involving a massive Oklahoma dogfighting operation.
The 54-year-old kick-return specialist surrendered 190 dogs to the government following last week’s ruling that he violated the federal Animal Welfare Act, which prohibits possessing, selling and transporting animals to be used for fighting, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
“This criminal profited off of the misery of innocent animals, and he will face severe consequences for his vile crimes,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement announcing the verdict Monday.
Johnson spent the 1999 NFL season with the Giants, when he rushed for 143 yards and lost two fumbles, according to Pro Football Reference.
Prosecutors said an indictment unsealed in March detailed his operation of “Mal Kant Kennels,” where he bred and trafficked fighting dogs for illegal matches.
The 190 dogs taken from Johnson’s property constitutes “the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dogfighting case,” prosecutors said.
He had a prior state conviction connected to dogfighting in 2004. Johnson could spend as many as five years in prison and face fines of up to $1.5 million at sentencing.
The All-American runner was drafted out of Northern Illinois University by the Green Bay Packers in 1994. He spent a couple years with the Arizona Cardinals before landing with Big Blue. He also competed as a rodeo bull rider, according to the New York Times.
FBI Director Kash Patel called Johnson’s crimes “despicable.”
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