A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to federal dogfighting charges, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
John Murphy, 51, of Hanson, pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture in violation of the federal Animal Welfare Act. He had been indicted back in March -- the first time federal charges were brought in Massachusetts under the law.
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
“Dogfighting is a sadistic crime which subjects animals to cruel mistreatment for entertainment,” Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division said in a statement. “We commend the investigators and prosecutors who worked collaboratively to bring this case to justice.”
“Mr. Murphy’s actions represent the calculated cruelty and inhumanity that dogfighting embodies – a barbaric practice that exploits and harms animals for entertainment and profit," said Joshua Levy, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. "Today’s conviction brings an end to Mr. Murphy’s reign of brutality and sends a clear message: dogfighting is a federal crime, and those who engage in this inhumane conduct will face justice."
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
Murphy's indictment and arrest came after federal agents and the Animal Rescue League of Boston searched a home on East Washington Street in Hanson in June of 2023. 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.
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 home 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 alleged 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.
Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 27, 2025. For each of the nine charges, he faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
