Glen Burnie Man Pleads Guilty To Conspiracy To Engage In Dogfighting And Interstate Travel In Aid Of Racketeering

Press Release

As Part of his Guilty Plea, Defendant Admitted that he Operated a Dog Kennel Entitled "Razor Sharp Kennels" and he Trained his Dogs with Treadmills, Weighted Collars and through the Use of Animal Steroids

Baltimore, Maryland - Mario Flythe, age 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to federal charges of conspiracy to engage in animal fighting, specifically the fighting of dogs, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.

The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; U.S. Marshal for Maryland Clinton Fuchs; and Anne Arundel County Police Chief Amal E. Awad.

According to the guilty plea, Flythe was affiliated with the same dogfighting enterprise as his co-defendant, Frederick Douglass Moorfield, Jr. Flythe operated a kennel under the name "Razor Sharp Kennels," and he used his home to keep, train and breed dogs for dogfighting for several years.

A review of Flythe's cellphone showed numerous message exchanges regarding dogfighting-primarily over the instant messaging applications WhatsApp and Telegram-with members of a group known as the "DMV Board." In addition to arranging dog fights and wagers, Flythe and the DMV Board discussed the breeding and training of fighting dogs, procuring supplies for the maintenance and feeding of fighting dogs and criminal prosecutions of dogfighters. In some exchanges, Flythe and others discussed indictments of other members of the DMV Board and speculated about the identity of a potential "snitch."

Flythe's instant messages also revealed several exchanges arranging-or "hooking"-dogfights. In those conversations, Flythe identified the weight and sex of the dog he wanted to sponsor in a fight. Other dogfighters then proposed a fight against their own dog or matched Flythe with another of their contacts who had a dog in the same weight class. The dogfighters would then agree on wagers and set a date for the fight, usually six to eight weeks after the match was made. In addition to stating the amount to be paid to the winner of the fight, dogfighters agreed on forfeit-or "fit"-payments to be made if a dogfighter backed out of the fight before it was scheduled to take place.

After hooking a fight, Flythe trained his dogs in a process known as a "keep." Flythe's typical keep schedule for a dog involved physical training (using treadmills, weighted collars, and other accessories), a diet plan, and the use of steroids. Flythe obtained steroids and other veterinary drugs through various contacts in his dogfighting network, not through legitimate veterinary prescriptions.

When Flythe sponsored a dog in a fight, the fight ended only when a dog died or when the owner forfeited the match-either through the dog "quitting" the fight or the owner "picking up" the dog.

On several occasions between 2019 and 2023, Flythe received monetary payments through CashApp related to his participation in dogfighting conduct. Flythe also sent money to dogfighting contacts in connection with the dogfighting enterprise.

On September 6, 2023, during a search of Flythe's home, investigators recovered a total of seven pit bull-type dogs from the premises. Four dogs were found chained to posts or poles in fenced-in cages in the property's back yard, and three dogs were found in large metal cages in the basement. In each of the cages in the back yard, investigators observed water bowls that contained either only dirt or water that appeared contaminated. Canine feces was found in both the cages in the back yard and basement. The back yard and four of the seven dogs were infested with fleas. Flythe agrees that he bred and/or trained dogs for the purposes of sponsoring them in dogfights.

Flythe faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for conspiring to engage in an animal fighting conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett has scheduled sentencing for October 24, 2024 at 2:30 p.m.

Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. U.S. District Court Judge Richard D. Bennett will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Levin and Darryl Tarver, who are prosecuting the case.

For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney's Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.

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Updated July 23, 2024