A high-ranking US Department of Defence employee named Frederick Douglass Moorefield was arrested for his involvement in an illegal dog fighting ring.

Moorefield, who was a deputy chief information officer for command, control, and communications, was charged along with 49-year-old barber Mario Damon Flythe.

According to an affidavit obtained by Insider, the two men used the encrypted messaging app Telegram to coordinate dog fights and discuss training methods and ways to avoid arrest.

Investigators found that Moorefield and his associates had been discussing topics such as how to train dogs to be aggressive and how to bet on fights.

BREAKING: Pentagon official arrested for running pitbull fighting ring for 20 years

Law enforcement seized jumper cables used to execute dogs that lose dogfights as well as a device used to impregnate females pic.twitter.com/lrIDDOwkSA
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) October 3, 2023

They also discussed ways to hide the fights from law enforcement, such as using code words and meeting in secluded locations.

On September 6, authorities executed a search warrant on Moorefield's Maryland home.

They found a device consisting of jumper cables attached to an electrical plug. This device may have been used to shock dogs after they lost a fight.

The investigators also found five pit bull-type dogs, a dog training schedule, a weighted dog vest with the words "Geehad Kennels" on it, and a stained gray carpet that appeared to be consistent with blood stains from multiple dog fights.

An investigation of Moorefield's phone and online records revealed that he had been involved in dog fighting since 2002.