Absolutely Disgusting!

General Lee 01 · July 18, 2007

Feds Indict Vick on Dogfighting Charges

AP Sports

Posted: 2007-07-18 11:07:08

Filed Under: NFL

RICHMOND, Va. (July 17) - NFL star Michael Vick was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation so grisly the losers either died in the pit or sometimes were electrocuted, drowned, hanged or shot.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback and three others were charged with competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

The operation was named "Bad Newz Kennels," according to the indictment, and the dogs were housed, trained and fought at a property owned by Vick in Surry County, Va.

The 18-page federal indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, alleges the 27-year-old Vick and his co-defendants began the dogfighting operation in early 2001, the former Virginia Tech star's rookie year with the Falcons.

The indictment states that dogs fought to the death - or close to it.

If convicted, Vick and the others - Purnell A. Peace, Quanis L. Phillips and Tony Taylor - could face up to six years in prison, $350,000 in fines and restitution.

Telephone messages left at the offices and home of Vick's attorney, Larry Woodward, were not returned. A woman who answered the phone at the home of Vick's mother said "no comment" and hung up.

"We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him," NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

"The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts."

Vick and the Falcons are scheduled to report to training camp on July 25.

"Obviously, we are disturbed by today's news," the team said in a statement posted on its Web site, apologizing to fans for the negative publicity.

"We will do the right thing for our club as the legal process plays out. We have a season to prepare for," it said.

John Goodwin of the Humane Society said the manner in which losing or unwilling dogs were killed was especially troubling.

"Some of the grisly details in these filings shocked even me, and I'm a person who faces this stuff every day," he said. "I was surprised to see that they were killing dogs by hanging them and one dog was killed by slamming it to the ground. Those are extremely violent methods of execution - they're unnecessary and just sick."

Vick and the others are accused of "knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting an animal fighting venture" and conducting a business enterprise involving gambling, as well as buying, transporting and receiving dogs for the purposes of an animal fighting venture.

About eight young dogs were put to death at the Surry County home after they were found not ready to fight in April 2007, the indictment said. They were killed "by hanging, drowning and/or slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."

The indictment also outlined a rough chronology:

In March 2003, after a pit bull from Bad Newz Kennels lost in a fight, it said Peace consulted with Vick about the losing dog's condition, then executed it by wetting it with water and electrocuting it;

In March 2003, after two Bad Newz Kennels dog lost fights to dogs owned by a cooperating witness, it alleged that Vick retrieved a bag containing $23,000 and gave it to the owner of the winning dogs. One of the fights had a $20,000 purse;

In the fall of 2003, a person witnessing a dog fight involving one of the dogs trained by Bad Newz Kennels incurred the ire of another cooperating witness by yelling out Vick's name in front of the crowd during the fight.

It also said that after establishing Bad Newz Kennels in early 2002, Vick and the others obtained shirts and headbands promoting their affiliation with the kennel.

After a police raid on the property in April, Vick said he was rarely at the house, had no idea it may have been used in a criminal enterprise. He blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity.

On Vick's Web site, he lists his birthplace as Newport News, "a.k.a. BadNews."

Purses for the fights ranged from hundreds of dollars to the thousands, and participants and spectators placed side bets, the document said.

Local authorities have been investigating the allegations since the April 25 drug raid at the property Vick owned. On June 7, officials with the Department of Agriculture executed their own search warrant and found the remains of seven dogs.

Surry County prosecutor Gerald G. Poindexter said he didn't know of the indictment before it was filed, and said he's not sure how the county will continue its case.

At the start, authorities seized 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting. About half the dogs were tethered to car axles with heavy chains that allowed the dogs to get close to each other, but not to have contact - an arrangement typical for fighting dogs, according to the search warrant affidavit.

The indictment said dogfights were held at the Virginia property and dog owners brought animals from six states, including New York and Texas.

In a search warrant executed July 6, the government said the fights usually occurred late at night or in the early morning and would last several hours.

Before fights, participating dogs of the same sex would be weighed and bathed, according to the filings. Opposing dogs would be washed to remove any poison or narcotic placed on the dog's coat that could affect the other dog's performance.

Sometimes, dogs weren't fed to "make it more hungry for the other dog," it said.

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I hope all these b@stards get the 6 years and then some. I really want them to be treated the same way the poor dogs were. But that ain't gonna happen.

svensk · July 18, 2007

What is it about athletes and dog fighting? Are they so bored with life that this is all thats left that gets their rocks off?

General Lee 01 · July 18, 2007

The best part is he allegedly started this venture AFTER he we went pro.

"I just went pro and I'm now making Millions, but I'm oh so bored! Hey I know, let's get into dogfighting!"

The sad thing is his little brother Markus is a Class-A screw up. He was robbing McDonalds and raping teen girls while he was at VT. I was holding a glimmer of hope that older Brother Michael was bigger than that. Silly me!

svensk · July 18, 2007

The best part is he allegedly started this venture AFTER he we went pro.

"I just went pro and I'm now making Millions, but I'm oh so bored! Hey I know, let's get into dogfighting!"

The sad thing is his little brother Markus is a Class-A screw up. He was robbing McDonalds and raping teen girls while he was at VT. I was holding a glimmer of hope that older Brother Michael was bigger than that. Silly me!

Where do you think little Markus learned everything from

AFD256 · July 18, 2007

I hope he gets what he deserves-JAIL TIME. And I hope it doesn't turn into a "I had a bad childhood, my mom didn't love me enough, I had to eat peanut butter and jelly everyday" case. I'm sure they will try to put some crazy spin on it. The best was when it first came out he said something like-"yeah it's my house put I don't go there" what the h3!! doe tha mean? Just another waste of talent.

C & A s Dad · July 18, 2007

Let's see, hanging, drowning, electrocution, slamming to the ground, this all sounds good to me. I mean as long as it is happening to Vick.

AFD256 · July 18, 2007

oh yeah- good for the goose good for the gander.

HyperBuzzin · July 19, 2007

Forest Gump said it best....

"Stupid is, as Stupid does"

And I say, forget the jail time, put him in a pen with about 1/2 a dozen hungry and pissed of Rot's & Pit Bulls.... Justice served !!

C & A s Dad · July 19, 2007

Tim, Tim, Tim, you are being mean spirited here. I would think that no more than 3 hungry pits would serve plenty of justice. After all, with 6 he would not last long at all, maybe 5 mins, with 3 he would get to "enjoy" the fight much longer.

I once read that the closing pressure on a full grown pit's jaws is something line 6,000 PSI where as a Doberman or Geman Sheppard is line 1,000 to 1,500 PSI. Don't quote me on these #s but it was something ridiculous like this.

I have always said that I could get a German Sheppard, Doberman etc off of me, but if you did not have a weapon, I do not believe you could get a full grown pit off of you.

2000DV4.8 · July 20, 2007

What kind of f*cked up person finds that entertaining? There's absolutely to way to justify it, but he's probably going to come up with some BS excuse, and get off with community service or some other BS punishment. This whole thing just makes me sick.

SweatyAppleSauce · July 20, 2007

The vick brothers are typical blah blah. If I say what I want to say, the cry babies will cry foul again over "racism"

Mark_in_Tulsa · July 20, 2007

Vick is a horrible QB to begin with. He's got speed, but can't throw to save his life. Only there to sell tickets in my opinion.

Atlanta's best off just cutting him if he's guilty and put in a traditional QB for the west coast O they are trying to implement.

overlord1 · July 20, 2007

The vick brothers are typical blah blah. If I say what I want to say, the cry babies will cry foul again over "racism"

I say f*&k their claims of "racism". They are both miserable excuses for human beings. If it were up to me, this jag off would be thrown in a ring full of hungry pit bulls. After a couple of hours I would put a couple of slugs in the back of his head and then throw his sorry ass in a river.

Wingnut · July 21, 2007

I think you guys are going about this eye-for-an-eye thing all wrong. Don't throw him into a pit of hungry/rabid/angry pitbulls.

Dip him in some peanut oil, get some dry-rub on him, and throw him in a pit of hungry chihuahuas. It'll take MUCH longer.

HyperBuzzin · July 21, 2007

I think you guys are going about this eye-for-an-eye thing all wrong. Don't throw him into a pit of hungry/rabid/angry pitbulls.

Dip him in some peanut oil, get some dry-rub on him, and throw him in a pit of hungry chihuahuas. It'll take MUCH longer.

LMAO !!!