A 51-year-old Hanson man was sentenced in the first federal dogfighting conviction in Massachusetts on Wednesday, officials said.

John Murphy was sentenced to one year and one day in prison with the last three months to be served in community confinement, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley.

“Dogfighting is a blood sport rooted in cruelty and greed,” Foley said. “This sentencing marks a historic moment in the first federal dogfighting conviction in Massachusetts and serves as a stark warning: those who engage in this barbaric practice will be exposed, prosecuted and punished.”

Authorities said they first identified Murphy discussing dogfighting on recorded calls with a New York-based dogfighting target.

A subsequent investigation revealed Murphy’s “years-long” involvement in dogfighting, officials said.

Investigators searching Murphy’s Facebook found that he communicated with other dogfighters about the results of dogfights, breeding dogs, and fighting dogs’ injuries, the statement said.

Photos and videos on Murphy’s Facebook showed a pit bull-type dog with “scarring and discolorations” on its head and leg consistent with that of dogfighting, the statement said.

The dogs were seen on video “physically tethered to different treadmill-like devices,” authorities said. Officials also found evidence of Murphy’s involvement on his cell phone, including WhatsApp messages discussing elements of dogfighting.

In June 2023, authorities found nine pit bull-type dogs — several of which suffered scarring — as well as animal fighting paraphernalia, at Murphy’s residence in Hanson. 

In March 2024, the U.S. filed a civil forfeiture complaint against 13 dogs seized in June 2023 from Murphy’s residence and another residence in Townsend, that were being used for dogfighting, the statement said. In September and October, the court ordered the dogs to be forfeited to authorities.

In November, Murphy pleaded guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in an animal fighting venture and was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024. 

In addition to his prison sentence, Murphy was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000 and prohibited from possessing pit-bull type dogs, authorities said.

“Mr. Murphy brutalized defenseless animals for profit and sport – training them to fight, suffer and die for his own financial gain,” Foley said. “His actions were not only illegal but deeply disturbing.”

 

Lindsay Shachnow covers general assignment news for Boston.com, reporting on breaking news, crime, and politics across New England.