Man sentenced to 6 months in federal prison for multi-state dogfighting operation
By Andrew Adeolu
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BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A Glen Burnie man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for his involvement in a multi-state dogfighting conspiracy, according to the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to court records, Mario Flythe, 50, was affiliated with the same dog fighting ring that led to charges for a federal official and another man..
Flythe also operated a kennel and used his home to breed and train dogs for dogfighting over several years.
After a review of Flythe’s cellphone records, investigators found numerous text messages connected to dogfighting, mainly on the text messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram. Flythe participated in arranging dog fights, getting supplies for maintaining and feeding fighting dogs, and law enforcement criminally prosecuting dogfighters.
The messages were conducted in a group chat named “The DMV Board,” where they also discussed the indictment of other members and speculations of a potential “snitch”.
They also talked about what would happen if someone pulled out of the fight before it happened.
After arranging a fight, Flythe trained his dogs using different methods like treadmills, weight collars, special diets, and steroids. He got these steroids and other medicines from his dogfighting friends instead of getting them legally from vets.
A fight only ended when one dog died or if the owner gave up by picking up their dog.
From 2019 to 2023, Flythe received money through CashApp for his involvement in dogfighting and sent money to others involved in dogfighting.
On September 6, 2023, when investigators searched Flythe’s home, they found seven pit bulldogs. Four dogs were tied up in cages outside, and three were kept in metal cages in the basement.
Flythe has been ordered to serve six months of house arrest and three years of probation. He was also fined $10,000 and ordered to pay back $2,800.
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