Quote:
Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a possible prison term.
The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines most likely would call for less.
"After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick asked that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding the charges pending against him," lead defense attorney Billy Martin said in a statement.
"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made. Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."
Vick's plea hearing will be Aug. 27, Martin said.
The news comes on the heels of two co-defendants pleading guilty earlier Friday and implicated Vick in bankrolling gambling on dogfights. One of them said the Atlanta Falcons quarterback helped drown or hang dogs that didn't do well.
With his NFL career in jeopardy and a superseding indictment adding more charges in the works, that left Vick with a hard choice: Cutting his own deal to minimize jail time or go to trial and sit through detailed descriptions of the ghastly operation known as "Bad Newz Kennels."
Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach entered plea agreements and agreed to testify against Vick. A third member of the dogfighting ring, Tony Taylor, struck a similar deal last month.
Vick's lawyers had been negotiating with prosecutors. One of Vick's attorneys, Lawrence Woodward, attended the plea hearings of Peace and Phillips but declined to answer questions as he left the courthouse.
"Did you conspire with these folks to sponsor a dogfighting venture?" U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson asked Peace.
"Yes, sir," he replied.
As part of the plea agreements, Phillips and Peace signed statements that said Vick joined in executing at least eight dogs that didn't do well in test fights by various methods, including hanging and drowning.
"Peace, Phillips and Vick executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions at 1915 Moonlight Road by various methods, including hanging and drowning. All three participated in executing the dogs. Peace agrees and stipulates that these dogs all died as a result of the collective efforts of Peace, Phillips and Vick," Peace's statement said.
Vick also posed for a photo with three co-defendants and a pit bull they were about to sponsor in a dogfight in North Carolina four years ago, according to Peace's statement of facts.
It was unclear whether prosecutors — or anyone — has a copy of that photo.
Phillips and Peace also backed up Taylor's assertion that Vick was involved in gambling.
"The 'Bad Newz Kennels' operation and gambling monies were almost exclusively funded by Vick," according to statements by the two men.
Those allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment on the latest pleas.
Peace and Phillips pleaded guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Sentencing was set for Nov. 30.
The offense is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The men will get credit for accepting responsibility and cooperating with the government but would be penalized for animal brutality.
Peace remains free until sentencing, but Hudson found that Phillips violated the terms of his release by failing a drug test and ordered him jailed.
About 30 animal-rights activists protested quietly outside the courthouse. Afterward, as police officers cleared the scene, protesters continued waving large pictures of a mutilated dog.
"This is one dogfighting ring that's been annihilated," said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States.
The four defendants all initially pleaded not guilty, and Vick issued a statement saying he looked forward to clearing his name.
The case began in April with a search of Vick's property in Surry County, a few miles from Vick's hometown of Newport News. Investigators seized dozens of pit bulls, some of them injured, and equipment typically used in dogfighting operations.
The four men were indicted July 17.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7132 ... >1=10347
Former #1 overall draft pick, Madden 2004 cover boy, and one of the highest paid/well-known football players will be sentenced to federal prison on Monday for what's reported to be between 10-36 months.
Additional charges related to gambling and racketeering were supposed to come down today, it's assumed these forced his hand to taking the current deal, as ANY gambling charges equal an immediate ban from thw NFL. By taking the plea deal now he may have the slightest chance of avoiding a lifetime ban from the league by facing up to the charges, however this is unlikely because if he really wanted to face up, he would have done it in March. In March when this all broke NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had a personal meeting with Vick, something Goodell has done numerous times this offseason with players in trouble, such as Adam Jones, Chris Henry, and Terry Johnson. This all follows his implementation of his new conduct policy, which led to Adam "Pacman" Jones being suspended for a year without ever being found guilty or being convicted of anything. According to the conduct policy one does not have to be found guilty of anything to be guilty of conduct detrimental to the league, such was the case with Jones.
Considering a 1-year suspension for Jones over repeated legal offenses, the fact that Mike Vick has actually been proven guilty and will serve in a fed prison, the nature of the crime, and the fact that Mike Vick lied to Roger Goodell in March (and did not face up til now) leads me to believe he will be banned from the league for life. Even if he isn't I have my doubts as to whether he can get a job in the NFL again. Of course, pending the state charges Virginia plans to bring, he may go away for too long to be able to play again anyway.
Tragic display of stupidity. Guy had the world in his hand and threw it away.
Discuss.
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