DOJ Charges Top DOD Spectrum Official With Dogfighting

Fred Moorefield, who long oversaw spectrum policy at DOD, was charged with promoting and furthering animal fighting. Moorefield has been on leave from DOD, where he was deputy chief information officer-command, control and communications. Industry officials said Monday's announcement was a surprise but may have limited effect since Moorefield’s retirement was expected. Charges were filed in U.S. District Court for Maryland.

Moorefield was already on leave during the final stages of preparation of DOD’s report on the 3.1 GHz band, which DOD sent to the Commerce Department last week (see 2309280087), industry officials said. Moorefield was replaced on an acting basis by top deputy Kevin Mulvihill, according to the DOD CIO website.

Moorefield had worked behind the scenes on the sharing of DOD spectrum with industry and was an advocate of more sophisticated systems for sharing without interference (see 2009220043). Moorefield oversaw DOD work on the 3.45 GHz band before that auction. He previously led the DOD spectrum office. DOD is the largest spectrum holder among federal agencies.

“It is a potential negative in that Fred had a lot of institutional knowledge and spectrum expertise, which is important in negotiations and hard to replace,” said New Street’s Blair Levin. Levin noted DOD also has “a deep bench of talent.”

The departure “certainly can’t help,” said MoffettNathanson’s Craig Moffett. “The only view I have on this item is how disturbing it is,” said LightShed’s Walter Piecyk. Recon Analytic’s Roger Entner said he expects no changes to DOD’s approach to spectrum sharing based on the departure.

“There is still a wide chasm to bridge between government users of spectrum and the private sector, and Fred's departure does not affect that,” said a lawyer with wireless clients.

DOD “has had a strained relationship with productive spectrum policy,” emailed Joe Kane, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation director-broadband and spectrum policy. “It will be important to find open and consistent lines of communication with NTIA and work with the wireless industry as necessary to ensure productive spectrum use can enhance national security and economic growth,” he said.

Moorefield, who lives in Arnold, Maryland, was charged along with Mario Flythe of Glen Burnie, Maryland, said a Monday news release. The two “used an encrypted messaging application to communicate with individuals throughout the United States to discuss dogfighting,” DOJ alleges: Moorefield used the name “Geehad Kennels” to identify his dogfighting operation.

Twelve dogs were recovered in two operations and seized by the federal government. “Law enforcement also recovered veterinary steroids, training schedules, a carpet that appeared to be stained with blood, and a weighted dog vest with a patch reading ‘Geehad Kennels,’” DOJ said: “Law enforcement officers seized a device consisting of an electrical plug and jumper cables, which the affidavit alleges is consistent with devices used to execute dogs that lose dogfights.” Moorefield couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.