Glen Burnie Man Sentenced to Federal Prison in Connection With Multi-State Dogfighting Conspiracy

Press Release

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Mario Damon Flythe, 50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, to six months in federal prison and six months of home detention - followed by three years of supervised release; a $10,000 fine, and an additional $2,800 in a forfeiture money judgment, for his involvement in a multi-state dogfighting conspiracy.

Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office- Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent in Charge Charmeka Parker, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service - Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Clinton Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for Maryland; and Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Chief.

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

A review of Flythe's cellphone records uncovered numerous message exchanges connected to 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 law enforcement criminally prosecuting dogfighters. Additionally, 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. During these 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 contact who had a dog in the same weight class. The dogfighters then agreed on wagers and set a date for the fight, usually six to eight weeks after arranging the match. In addition to stating the winner's fee for each fight, dogfighters agreed on forfeit or "fit" payments if a dogfighter backed out prior to the fight.

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 steroids. Flythe obtained steroids and other veterinary drugs through various contacts in his dogfighting network instead of obtaining legitimate veterinary prescriptions.

When Flythe sponsored a dog, the fight only ended after a dog died or if the owner forfeited the match by the dog quitting the fight or the owner picking up the dog. Several times between 2019 and 2023, Flythe received monetary payments through CashApp in connection with dogfighting activities. Flythe also sent money to dogfighting contacts related to 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. Authorities found four dogs chained to posts or poles in fenced-in cages in the property's backyard, and three dogs in large metal cages in the basement. Flythe acknowledged that he bred and/or trained dogs for the purposes of sponsoring them for dogfights.

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U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI; U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; U.S. Marshals Service; Anne Arundel County Police Department; Anne Arundel County Animal Control; and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia for their valuable assistance in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Levin who prosecuted the federal 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 January 24, 2025