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A former NFL balloon carrier was found guilty of six charges for having operated a large -scale dog -wrestling traffic company after a trial of several days in Oklahoma.
The Office of Public Affairs of the US Ministry of Justice has announced the conviction of Lohon Johnson, 54, who was found guilty of having violated the prohibitions of the federal law on animal welfare of possession, sale, transport and delivery of animals to be used in wrestling companies.
The announcement said that Johnson, who played five seasons in the NFL with three different teams, returned to the government the “190 dogs seized in this case”.
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The Ballon Johnson Ballon of Arizona Cardinals runs with the ball during a defeat of 31-21 against New York Jets at Sun Devil Stadium in Temple, Arizona. (Stephen Dunn / Allsport)
“This criminal took advantage of the misery of innocent animals and he will face serious consequences for his vile crimes,” said Prosecutor General Pamela jumps in a statement. “This case underlines the commitment of the Ministry of Justice to protect animals from abuse – 190 dogs are now safe thanks to exceptional collaborative work from our lawyers and law enforcement components.”
The director of the FBI, Kash Patel, added: “The FBI will not represent those who will perpetuate the despicable crime of dog fights. Thanks to the hard work of our law implementation partners, those who continue to engage in organized fights and cruelty will be confronted with justice.”
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The condemnation came from an unclosed indictment in March, which entered into detail on Johnson’s operation to “Mal Kant Kennes”. Evidence has been delivered to the federal jury which showed that Johnson raised and treated “champion” and “big champion” combat dogs.
“The authorities have seized the 190 dogs in his property, which is the greatest number ever of a single individual in a federal case to combat dogs,” said the announcement.
Johnson was sentenced to the State in 2004. He pleaded guilty in 2005 in 2004.
Ballon carrier Lohon Johnson # 32 of the Cardinals of Arizona carries football during the defeat of the Cardinals 19-18 against the victory of Tampa Bay Buccaneers 19-18 at the Stade de Houlihan in Tampa, in Florida. (Andy Lyons / Allsport)
Two years later, the NFL was struck by another shocking scandal to fight dogs, while the star quarter of the Falcons of Atlanta, Michael Vick, pleaded guilty to his involvement in a combat ring and spent 21 months in prison.
Johnson is now risking a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $ 250,000 for each enumeration for crime.
“Dog fights are a vicious and cruel crime that has no place in a civilized society,” said American lawyer Christopher J. Wilson for the Oriental District of Oklahoma in a statement. “I congratulate the hard work of our partners responsible for the application of laws in the investigation into this case and the holding of the accused responsible for his crimes.”
Johnson, who became a star at the Northern Illinois University, was a choice of third round by the Packers of Green Bay during the 1994 NFL draft. He did not play a big role in Green Bay, who ended up going from him to half the 1995 season.
The Cardinals of Arizona run Lehon Johnson (32) in action against the loaders of San Diego at the Jack Murphy stadium. (Peter Brouillet-USa TODAY NETWORK)
Johnson joined the Cardinals of Arizona, where he would see most of his career on the NFL stage. He started eight of his 15 games in 1996, rushing for 634 yards with three affected, while catching 15 passes for 176 yards and a score.
Johnson spent one more season in Arizona before joining the New York Giants in 1999, where he played in a safeguard role. He also played in the XFL after the end of his stay in the NFL.
