A Massachusetts man was arrested Friday on federal dogfighting charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
John Murphy, 50, of Hanson, was indicted on nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. He was scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on Friday morning.
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This is the first time federal charges have been brought in Massachusetts under the law, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The indictment and arrest comes after federal agents and the Animal Rescue League of Boston searched a home on East Washington Street in Hanson last June. Throughout the day, investigators were seen taking out boxes, paper bags and empty animal crates. At the time, a law enforcement source told NBC10 Boston that the investigation involved multiple locations in Massachusetts and two other states.
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According to the indictment, Murphy possessed numerous items associated with possessing dogs for participation in an animal fighting venture at his residence in Hanson, including intravenous infusion equipment; syringes; antibiotics; injectable anabolic steroids; injectable corticosteroids; a skin stapler; forceps; equipment used to train dogs, including a treadmill, a slat mill, a carpet mill, and a flirt pole; dog training and fighting literature; a hanging digital scale used to weigh dogs for matches; written training regimens; break sticks, used to separate fighting dogs; and a breeding stand used to immobilize female dogs during breeding to prevent harm while mating.
Federal officials also filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 13 pitbull-type dogs, seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend. As alleged in the complaint, several of the seized dogs had evidence of scarring. The dogs are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
At both locations where the dogs were seized from, items associated in illegal dogfighting operations were found, including training equipment, veterinary supplies, dog fighting literature, DVDs, kennels used to house dogs individually and break sticks, which dogfighters use to force open a dog's bit onto another dog's body at the termination of a fight or while training.
The complaint also alleges that Murphy communicated with other dogfighters via Facebook, where they discussed the results of dogfights, injuries sustained by fighting dogs and breeding dogs. Federal prosecutors say Murphy also belonged to private dogfighting Facebook groups used to share fight results, buy and sell fighting dogs and exchange information on training and conditioning fighting dogs, among other things.
Federal prosecutors said Murphy's Facebook accounts also contained a photo of a pit bull-type dog with scarring and discolorations on its head and leg consistent with dogfighting, a photo of a pit bull-type dog restrained in a breeding stand and videos that depicted pit bull-type dogs physically tethered to treadmill-like devices commonly used to physically condition dogs for a dogfight. One video showed what appeared to be live bait placed at the end of the treadmill to entice the dog to run faster and harder.
The charges of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
