Man charged in connection with dogfighting ring

A Hanson man is facing federal charges after authorities seized several dogs from his home last year that were allegedly for use in a dogfighting operation, authorities said, but the man’s defense attorney said the dogs are gentle and are not being abused.

John Murphy, 50, was arrested early Friday morning and appeared in US District Court in Boston, where he pleaded not guilty to nine counts of possessing animals for use in animal fighting, according to court records and his attorney. He was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.

Acting US Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy’s office said the case against Murphy marks the first time federal criminal charges have been brought under the Animal Welfare Act in Massachusetts.

Federal authorities in June seized eight dogs from Murphy’s home and five from another residence in Townsend, where a man identified as Steven Morrissey was also allegedly “involved in the breeding, fighting, and training of fighting dogs,” according to a civil forfeiture complaint filed in the case.

It was not clear whether Morrissey has been charged — a search of federal court records in Massachusetts turned up no cases against him, and he could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Levy’s office said the dogs, several of which allegedly had evidence of scarring, are in the custody of the US Marshals Service and are being cared for.

“Dogfighting for entertainment and profit is cruel, it’s inhumane, and it is a felony under federal law,” Levy said in the statement Friday. “Today’s arrest puts an end to the calculated brutality we allege Mr. Murphy perpetuated and should serve as a warning to others who engage in the barbaric practice of dog fighting.”

Prosecutors said three of the dogs seized from Murphy’s home had scars, wounds, sores, or other injuries. One dog showed “severe, deep scarring around the neck,” while the other two showed scarring on their heads and legs, including one that had “worn teeth, and several masses on the left flank, right front leg, and undercarriage,” prosecutors wrote.

In an interview Saturday, Murphy’s attorney, Lauren Thomas, rejected the government’s allegations that the dogs had scars and were being trained for dogfighting. She said Murphy works in construction and has three grown children and a 9-year-old daughter.

“These dogs were family dogs; they are friendly,” she said. “One of the dogs is especially special to his daughter and will sleep with her every night and cuddle. So we’re not talking about dangerous, mean dogs.”

“These are healthy dogs, they don’t have scars, and tears, and all kinds of injuries to themselves,” she added. “I understand the government is making it sound that way, but this is not who he is.”

The investigation that led to Murphy’s arrest dates back to 2021, when the district attorney’s office for Suffolk County in New York began probing dogfighting ventures on Long Island. Investigators from that office conducted a series of wiretaps and intercepted communications that allegedly revealed “an interstate network of dogfighters” with suspects in Massachusetts, Maine, and Florida, according to the civil forfeiture filing.

Murphy was identified as an alleged participant in the network, and further communication intercepts and surveillance of his social media activity led investigators to believe he was breeding and training dogs for fighting at his Hanson residence, according to court records.

Prosecutors allege Murphy communicated with other alleged dogfighters over Facebook and belonged to private groups where members shared dogfight results, bought and sold fighting dogs, and shared information on training and conditioning dogs for fighting, according to court records.

Federal authorities raided his home and the Townsend residence on June 7. In addition to the dogs, authorities allegedly seized numerous items “commonly associated with an illegal dogfighting operation” from both homes, prosecutors said.

At Murphy’s house, authorities allegedly found a trove of veterinary supplies, including several types of antibiotics, deworming medication, fertility medication, wound care materials, steroids, and painkillers, prosecutors wrote.

They also allegedly found break sticks, which “dogfighters use to force open a dog’s bite onto another dog’s body,” a dog bite sleeve, and “disposable skin staplers” used for closing wounds, according to court records.

Authorities also reported finding “several treadmills, slat mills, and carpet mills,” as well as a jenny mill, a device used to exercise animals by having them walk or run on a circular track, according to court records.

“He works in construction, so the staple thing, that’s part of his job,” Thomas, Murphy’s attorney, said. “The treadmill is for when there is a blizzard outside so they can still exercise the dogs.”

Authorities said the dogs were kept in separate kennels and crates at Murphy’s home. A “breeding stand,” which is used to restrain female dogs during breeding, was also found at the home, prosecutors said.

At Morrissey’s home in Townsend, one of the five dogs that were seized had scarring on its face, chin, and legs, according to prosecutors. Investigators also allegedly found veterinary supplies and dog training equipment, including break sticks, a slat mill, and spring poles, which can be used “to build a dog’s jaw strength and increase aggression,” prosecutors wrote.

Murphy is due back in federal court in Worcester on Wednesday.