Running back LeShon Johnson of the Arizona Cardinals runs with the ball during a 31-21 loss to the New York Jets at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Stephen Dunn/AllSport/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson was sentenced to five years in federal prison after being convicted of running a massive dogfighting operation that prosecutors said bred and trafficked hundreds of animals.
Johnson, 55, was found guilty of six dogfighting-related charges in a mixed verdict during a federal trial last year in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He was convicted of violating the federal Animal Welfare Act’s prohibitions against possessing, selling, transporting and delivering animals to be used in fighting ventures.
An Oklahoma federal judge sentenced him on Thursday to 60 months in prison plus three years of supervised release. He was also fined $30,000.
Prosecutors said that since 2007, Johnson “bred and trafficked hundreds of dogs for the purpose of dog fighting around the country” in an operation known as “Mal Kant Kennels.”
In 2024, authorities seized 190 pit bull-type dogs from his Oklahoma residence and dog yard, “the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case,” the DOJ said in a press release.
Financial transactions showed that in the four years prior to the seizure, Johnson received more than $400,000 for the sale of his dogs, according to court filings.
Johnson had previously been convicted of dogfighting offenses in a 2004 state case and received a five-year deferred sentence, prosecutors said.
“LeShon Johnson will face justice for building another particularly egregious and violent dog fighting scheme,” Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward Jr. said in a statement. “As Johnson was well aware, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states.”
Johnson played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants from 1994 to 1999.
His attorney, Billy Coyle, asked for a sentence of 15 to 21 months, citing Johnson’s need for medical care. In a sentencing memorandum, Coyle said Johnson’s medical history is “unusually serious” — including a diagnosis of severe dementia in 2025 and Parkinson’s disease in 2024 and other injuries stemming from his football career.
Coyle also asked that the judge not impose a fine, saying it would “impair Mr. Johnson’s ability to meet medical, caregiving, and family-support obligations.”
“Given his age, severe health conditions, lack of criminal history points, and compliance while on release, a lengthy prison term is not necessary to protect the public from future crimes,” Coyle stated. “The convictions themselves, the loss of his dogs, the financial and emotional consequences of the prosecution, and a sentence within or below the properly calculated range provide substantial deterrent effect.”
Prosecutors asked for a sentence of 10 years, citing the “extraordinary scope, size, and duration” of his operation and arguing that he “made a mockery” out of the sentence imposed in his prior felony dogfighting conviction.
“Defendant in particular has demonstrated a profound lack of respect for the law, in that his response to his prior felony dog fighting conviction was not to depart from his illegal practices, but rather, to grow an even larger illegal business,” Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy stated in a court filing ahead of the sentence.
“Defendant has contributed as much to the growth of dog fighting in this country as anyone yet encountered by federal law enforcement,” he stated.
The booking photo for Josh Jacobs. (Brown County Jail)
(GREEN BAY, Wis.) — Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs was arrested on domestic abuse charges in Wisconsin on Tuesday, police said.
Jacobs, 28, was arrested and booked into the Brown County jail on three domestic abuse charges — battery, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, according to the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department.
He was also booked on two other charges — intimidation of a victim and strangulation and suffocation, police said.
The strangulation and suffocation charge is a felony and the others are misdemeanors, online jail records show.
The charges stem from a “disturbance complaint” that officers responded to Saturday morning, Hobart-Lawrence Police Department Chief Michael Renkas said in a press release.
Jacobs was arrested Tuesday following an investigation, Renkas said. He is being held without bond, online jail records show.
“This remains an active and ongoing investigation. No further information will be released at this time,” Renkas said.
In a statement, his attorneys said Jacobs “vehemently denies the allegations, and this matter is in the early stages of investigation with important evidence that has not yet been made public.”
“We ask for fairness and restraint while the judicial process takes its course,” the statement from his attorneys, David Chesnoff, Richard Schonfeld and Clarence Duchac, continued.
A Packers spokesperson said they are “aware of the matter involving Josh Jacobs.”
“As it is an ongoing legal situation, we will withhold further comment,” the statement added.
Jacobs is entering his third season with the Packers.
He began playing in the NFL in 2019, as a first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders, and was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. He is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and led the league in rushing yards in 2022.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Bode Miller attends the Kitz Legends Night at Hotel Grand Tirolia Kitzbuehel on January 21, 2026 in Kitzbuehel, Austria. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller was arrested earlier this month on drug-related charges, according to court documents.
The American alpine ski racer was arrested in Idaho on two misdemeanor charges, including possession of a controlled substance and another for possession of drug paraphernalia, the documents noted.
Miller was released on a $5,000 cash bond, the records said. He pleaded not guilty to both charges after his arrest, according to the documents.
Miller’s agent referred ABC News to a statement posted to his Instagram.
“I was pulled over for accelerating while passing another vehicle on a highway in Idaho. My friend, who was traveling with me, had a small amount of cannabis and cannabis pipe in his possession which I was unaware of,” Miller wrote.
He noted that they fully cooperated with the officer, and expressed hope that the misdemeanor charges will be dropped “once the facts are reviewed.”
In a statement to ABC News, the lead prosecutor confirmed that Miller was issued a citation and the misdemeanor offenses, but declined to make additional comments.
Miller is considered as one of the greatest alpine skiers in U.S. history. He is a six-time Olympic medalist and two-time overall World Cup champion.
His success in the sport also helped popularize skiing in the U.S.
Miller is married to professional beach volleyball player Morgan Beck and the couple share six children together.
