Former NFL running back LeShon Eugene Johnson has been indicted on 21 charges in a massive federal dog fighting bust that led to the recovery of 190 pit bulls, according to the Justice Department.

Federal authorities said they believe it’s their largest seizure of fighting dogs from a single individual in U.S. history.

Johnson, a 54-year-old from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is accused of operating a large-scale breeding and trafficking operation known as “Mal Kant Kennels” as well as raising fighting dogs himself.

He pleaded guilty to similar charges at the state level in 2004.

PUERTO RICAN MAN SENTENCED TO 7 YEARS IN PRISON FOR DECADES OF DOG FIGHTING

“This strategic prosecution of an alleged repeat offender led to the seizure of 190 dogs destined for a cruel end,” said acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson. “It disrupts a major source of dogs used in other dog fighting ventures.”

Johnson allegedly raised “champion” and “grand champion” fighting pit bulls and then sold breeding rights around the country. 

Some of the dogs’ names were War Pony, Boot Stomper and Hogg, the latter of which was purported to have won eight fights.

KASH PATEL SHARPENS WARNING MESSAGE FOR TESLA ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM’ PERPETRATORS

Portrait of Northern Illinois running back LeShon Johnson during a photo shoot at a ranch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on July 16, 1993. (Ken Geiger /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Prosecutors said that is an unusually high number of victories, because dogs often suffer mortal injuries during brutal fights.

To become a “grand champion,” a dog needs to win five. A “champion” wins three.

“Animal abuse is cruel, depraved, and deserves severe punishment,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and will remain committed to protecting innocent animals from those who would do them harm.”

New York Giants running back LeShon Johnson flips over after a gain as he’s covered by Indianapolis Colts linebacker Mike Peterson (L) and safety Jason Belser during a game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (REUTERS)

According to court filings, a trove of evidence was recovered from Johnson’s phone, including text messages, a Facebook page, CashApp history, emails discussing sales and even pedigrees for the dogs. Authorities also seized dogs at two separate properties owned by Johnson.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau views animal cruelty cases as a stepping stone to organized crime, including trafficking and murder. 

“The FBI will not tolerate criminals that harm innocent animals for their twisted form of entertainment,” he said in a statement. 

Johnson was indicted in January, court records show, but the court unsealed the filing this week after his arrest on Thursday in Muskogee. The dogs were seized from his property in October 2024 under the Animal Welfare Act, according to federal prosecutors, who said they believe the 190 animals mark the largest seizure from a single person in such a case.

Johnson, who played for the Packers, Cardinals and Giants during a six-year NFL career in the 1990s, was part of a 2014 class action lawsuit accusing the NFL of failing to protect players from concussions.

He faces up to five years in prison on each count if convicted and a $250,000 fine. Fox News Digital reached out to his attorney.

A legislative proposal in Arizona hopes to lower gas prices amid a recent appeal to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

Currently, federal ozone attainment standards have prompted parts of the state, especially heavily populated Maricopa County, to use a “boutique” blend of gasoline since 1997, and it is the only place in the country that has done so. 

The legislative proposal would make it state law for other types of gasoline blends to be used aside from the specific winter and summer blends currently allowed, as it would be what is available in other states. 

LOWER GAS PRICES AREN’T LUCK. TRUMP’S ENERGY POLICIES ARE FUELING AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE

Gas prices in the Grand Canyon State are currently among the highest in the country at $3.33 per gallon on average on Tuesday, according to AAA. In Maricopa County, that average is roughly 20 cents higher. 

“Modeling shows that 80% of the ozone in Maricopa County travels here from outside the state. This includes wildfires, pollution from Mexico, and emissions from California,” President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope said in a statement. “Even if 4 million gas burning cars were removed from our roads, Arizona would still not attain the impossible ozone standards set by the EPA.”

Similar legislation was worked on in the legislature last year, but the renewed push on the issue comes as Senate President Warren Petersen recently met with Zeldin. 

LIZ PEEK: TRUMP, ZELDIN BRING A KEY INGREDIENT TO AMERICA’S ‘GREEN AGENDA’

Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

“Following that meeting, Administrator Zeldin publicly raised our concerns about being punished for emissions outside of our control, and he committed to ensuring air quality will be protected while allowing us to grow the economy,” Petersen said in a statement. 

“HB 2300 is the first step in removing the shackles off Arizona and positions us to reduce gas prices quickly, in coordination with upcoming action from Administrator Zeldin on behalf of the Trump Administration. Providing multiple fuel options allows the market to compete during unexpected shortages and will help keep gas prices low for Arizona drivers.”

Some Democrats have argued the legislation would pose an environmental risk and “does nothing to lower gas prices.”

“House Bill 2300 weakens Arizona’s clean air protections by changing the rules for gasoline standards in certain areas. Here’s why that’s a problem: It could lead to more air pollution as this bill puts gas companies over public health,” State Sen. Rosanna Gabaldón said in a statement after the bill passed out of committee. 

“Current fuel standards help keep our air cleaner, especially in cities with high traffic. Loosening these rules could make pollution worse. It would allow for more loopholes for gas suppliers. Instead of sticking to proven fuel standards, the bill opens the door for changes that may not meet strict environmental guidelines,” she continued. 

SEN SHELDON WHITEHOUSE: THE EPA’S ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION ROLLBACK PUTS AMERICANS LAST

Arizona State Capitol Building in Phoenix. (dszc via Getty Images)

On March 12, Zeldin released a statement saying that there have been various complaints nationwide about communities being penalized for air quality regulations they can do little about. If the bill were to be signed into law by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, the EPA would still need to clear those blends through the State Implementation Plan, which Zeldin’s office says there’s a “backlog” of. 

“The Biden Administration’s focus on ideological pursuits instead of the agency’s core mission and statutory duties resulted in a delay in air quality improvement. With more than 140 million Americans living in nonattainment areas around the country, cooperative federalism and clearing out the State Implementation Plan backlog will make significant strides to improving the air we breathe,” Zeldin said in a statement at the time. 

The EPA did not respond in time for publication. 

“We are still evaluating the legislation so nothing to share at the moment,” a spokesperson for Hobbs’ office told Fox News Digital. 

President Donald Trump unloaded on Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett Wednesday over her recent slam of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for using a wheelchair, calling her a “lowlife.”

During an interview with conservative radio host Vince Coglianese on Wednesday, Trump reacted to Crockett’s insult of the wheelchair-bound governor as “Governor Hot Wheels” this week, which led to sharp bipartisan criticism of the far-left congresswoman.

“But she’s a lowlife, and she’s a very low-IQ person,” the president told the host, adding, “I don’t imagine the Democrats are going to have a person like that running their party.”

DEMOCRAT JASMINE CROCKETT LAUGHINGLY MOCKS DISABLED REPUBLICAN: ‘GOVERNOR HOT WHEELS’

Crockett coined the insult for Abbott during a Human Rights Campaign dinner in Los Angeles on Saturday. While speaking at the event, she stated, “We in these hot a– Texas streets, honey. Y’all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there, come on now! And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot a– mess, honey!”

The comments generated outrage among conservatives on social media, which Crockett responded to on Tuesday afternoon, denying she was mocking the governor for being in a wheelchair. Abbott was left paralyzed at 26 when he was hit by a falling tree while jogging.

She posted on X, “I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable.”

Abbott responded during an episode of Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” telling host Sean Hannity, “It’s another day and another disaster by the Democrats. The reality is they have no vision, no policy. They have nothing to sell but hate, and Americans are not buying it.”

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS DEMOCRATS NEED TO BE ‘OK WITH PUNCHING’ IN RACES AGAINST TED CRUZ, REPUBLICANS

Rep. Jasmine Crockett claimed her recent comment seeming to mock a disabled Republican leader as “Governor Hot Wheels” was misinterpreted.  (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins/(Photo by ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images))

Coglianese told Trump he believed she was lying in her X post. “She’s been called out for that. She later came out on X and she claimed that she was just actually talking about when he was bussing illegals around the country, which seems to me like a pretty brazen lie on the lawmaker’s part.”

“Well, it’s a lie,” Trump said. “And she lies.” He added that if the Democratic Party ever puts someone like Crockett in a leadership role, “They’ll never win an election again. It would be very hard.”

Elsewhere, Trump mentioned that when he first saw viral videos of the congresswoman, he assumed she had a different profession. 

“At first, I thought she was a comedian. I couldn’t believe she was a congressman or whatever she is,” he said, getting a laugh out of the host. He admitted he thought she “was a little bit funny, but crude, and now I found out she’s actually a politician.”

“The Democrats are going to suffer with this one,” he added.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (left) and Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, (right) (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | Brandon Bell/Getty Images | Fox News Digital)

Crockett’s office did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Crockett has made disparaging references to Abbott’s wheelchair in the past, belying her claim that she wasn’t referencing that with her latest statements.