Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson was sentenced to five years in federal prison for operating a large-scale dogfighting operation in Oklahoma, with three years of supervised release and a $30,000 fine.

Authorities seized 190 pit bull-type dogs from Johnson—the largest single-person seizure in a federal dogfighting case.

Johnson ran Mal Kant Kennels in Broken Arrow and Haskell, breeding and trafficking dogs from fighting bloodlines and selling breeding rights and offspring to other dogfighters.

The case is highlighted by broad support for the FIGHT Act, with endorsements from law-enforcement groups and lawmakers.

Advocacy groups Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action lead the legal actions, aiming to dismantle dogfighting networks permanently.

Supporters note that dogfighting encompasses breeding networks, trafficking, gambling, training, equipment, and transport, forming a wider underground industry.

Prosecutors said the sales proceeds totaled hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Johnson’s football career was interrupted by non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1998; he returned for a final NFL season with the Giants in 1999 and later played in the XFL.

Investigators recovered equipment and records—treadmills, bite sticks, steroids, and detailed fighting logs—and more than $400,000 in dog sales over four years, including international transactions via Cash App.

The Department of Justice framed dogfighting as a nationwide felony and stressed accountability given the scale and violence of the operation.

Johnson’s attorney indicated an appeal is being considered, though no decision had been made yet.

Attorney General Pam Bondi called the sentencing one of the most significant animal cruelty prosecutions in recent years.