Norman Dixson of Griffin, Georgia, has been arraigned on federal charges related to dogfighting, animal abuse, and fraud involving pandemic relief funds. The arraignment took place on December 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard following a federal grand jury indictment issued on October 28, 2025.
According to prosecutors, Dixson is accused of sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in animal fighting ventures on seven occasions. He also faces charges for promoting an animal fighting venture and suffocating a dog.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commented on the case: “The indictment alleges that Dixson viciously abused dogs and repeatedly lied to obtain COVID relief funds. This depraved and deceitful conduct cannot be tolerated and commands aggressive prosecution.”
In addition to the animal-related offenses, Dixson is charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration and a commercial lender by improperly obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. The indictment states that he submitted false tax forms when applying for PPP loans and provided further false information when seeking loan forgiveness.
Dixson also faces allegations of unemployment insurance fraud after submitting fraudulent claims to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development both for himself and others.
Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge for the Southeast Region at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, stated: “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.”
Authorities remind the public that an indictment contains only charges; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The investigation is being conducted 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 the case.
The Department of Justice established a COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force in May 2021 to strengthen efforts against pandemic-related fraud across agencies by sharing resources and information as described at https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Individuals with information about attempted COVID-19 fraud can report it via phone or through an online complaint form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For additional details or inquiries, contact can be made through USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or by calling (404) 581-6016. More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is available at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.