Norman Dixson, a 34-year-old resident of Griffin, Georgia, has been arraigned on federal charges that include sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in animal fighting ventures, promoting animal fighting, animal crushing, and wire fraud. The arraignment took place on December 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard following an indictment by a federal grand jury on October 28.
According to information presented in court and statements from authorities, Dixson is accused of participating in dogfighting activities on seven occasions and suffocating a dog. He also faces allegations of defrauding the Small Business Administration and a commercial lender by obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans through false tax forms and submitting further misrepresentations when seeking loan forgiveness.
Dixson is additionally charged with conducting Unemployment Insurance fraud by filing fraudulent claims with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development for himself and others.
“The indictment alleges that Dixson viciously abused dogs and repeatedly lied to obtain COVID relief funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This depraved and deceitful conduct cannot be tolerated and commands aggressive prosecution.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the unemployment insurance program. This collaborative investigative effort with our federal partners reaffirms our commitment to investigate these types of allegations,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Sistla and Samir Kaushal are prosecuting.
Officials remind the public that an indictment contains only charges; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to coordinate efforts across government agencies in response to pandemic-related fraud cases. The task force focuses on investigating and prosecuting major offenders as well as supporting agencies responsible for relief programs by sharing resources and information gained from previous enforcement actions (https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus).
Individuals who have information about attempted COVID-19 fraud can report it via the National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or through its web complaint form (https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form).
For more details or inquiries regarding this case, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or call (404) 581-6016.
