Ex Giants Running Back Dogfighting Evidence Piles Up
The New York Giants are focusing on their future and attempting to navigate their quarterback situation and prep for the upcoming NFL Draft on April 24-26.
But a former Giants running back is also contemplating his future, and it might not be good.
Former NFL running back LeShon Johnson is being charged in a federal dogfighting case.
Johnson made his first appearance in court last week and has been charged with "possessing 190 pit bull-type dogs for use in an animal fighting venture and for selling, transporting, and delivering a dog for use in an animal fighting venture," per a news release.
The Department of Justice announced this week that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma unsealed a grand jury indictment charging Johnson with violating the federal Animal Welfare Act.
On Thursday, a summary of evidence against Johnson was filed, and it includes an electronic device seized from Johnson and photos of dead and maimed dogs, along with a photo of a dog on a treadmill.
Johnson is alleged to have bred "champion" and "grand champion" fighting dogs and developed dogfighting bloodlines for years and even decades.
The Northern Illinois product faces 21 counts, and if convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count.
The dogs were taken from the 54-year-old Johnson in October and the Department of Justice said it's believed that the number of dogs is the largest ever seized from a single person in a federal case. He was arrested on March 20 and released on bond per multiple reports.Johnson was a third-round selection by the Green Bay Packers in 1994 and spent time with the Arizona Cardinals and Giants across 62 NFL games.
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