Tweet
Vick agrees to plead guilty in dogfighting case
Michael Vick will plead guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting investigation next Monday, his lawyer said. All three of Vick's co-defendants have taken pleas. No details have been released on the prison time Vick faces.
Michael Vick's lawyer said Monday the NFL star will plead guilty to federal charges related to a dogfighting case, putting the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's career in jeopardy and leaving him subject to a 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. Vick's plea hearing is the morning of Aug. 27.
Lead defense attorney Billy Martin said Vick reached an agreement with federal prosecutors after consulting with his family over the weekend.
"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," Martin said in a statement. "Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."
Martin later told The Associated Press he could not divulge any specifics of the plea agreement or how much time Vick can expect to serve in prison. Prosecutors are seeking a prison term of 12 to 18 months.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from the Falcons' training camp but has withheld further action while the league conducts its own investigation. League sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Goodell likely will suspend Vick indefinitely and that a final decision on Vick's suspension will be made after his legal case is resolved.
"We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons,'' the league said in a statement. The NFL added that it has asked the Falcons "to continue to refrain from taking action pending a decision by the commissioner."
The Falcons said they were "certainly troubled" by news of the plea but would withhold further comment in compliance with Goodell's request. If the league suspends Vick, the Falcons could then seek to recoup part of his signing bonus of approximately $22 million, because if suspended, then Vick would be in default of his contract, team officials tell ESPN's Sal Paolantonio.
Martin said salvaging Vick's NFL career was never part of the discussions.
"Football is not the most important thing in Michael Vick's life," he said. "He wants to get his life back on track."
Vick is charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. He had pleaded not guilty last month and vowed to clear his name at a November trial.
"I, like all people who know and care about Michael Vick, was very disappointed and saddened by the news," Frank Beamer, who coached Vick at Virginia Tech, said in a statement. "Although all the details are not known at this time, I am greatly concerned that Michael has put himself in this position."
Martin's announcement came as a federal grand jury that could add new charges met in private. Prosecutors had said that a superseding indictment was in the works, but Vick's plea most likely means he will not face additional charges.
U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson said Vick is not scheduled to visit the courthouse before his hearing next week.
Three of Vick's original co-defendants already have pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against him if the case went to trial. Quanis Phillips of Atlanta and Purnell Peace of Virginia Beach signed statements saying the 27-year-old quarterback participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.
In a telephone interview with the AP, Martin said Vick is paying a high price for allowing old friends to influence his behavior, but he emphasized that his client takes full responsibility.
"There were some judgment issues in terms of people he was associating with," Martin said. "He realized this is very serious, and he decided to plead so he can begin the healing process."
In addition to Phillips and Peace, Tony Taylor, who pleaded guilty last month, also said Vick provided virtually all of the gambling and operating funds for his "Bad Newz Kennels" operation in rural Virginia, not far from Vick's hometown of Newport News.
The gambling allegations alone could trigger a lifetime ban under the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Vick's Atlanta attorney, Daniel Meachum, told the AP that Vick is taking a chance with his guilty plea as far as his career is concerned because there have been no discussions with the league in recent days.
"There's no promise or even a request of the league to make a promise," Meachum said.
Meachum said the plea deal involves only the federal case. He said he doesn't know if there have been any discussions about resolving Virginia state charges that may be brought against Vick.
The case began April 25 when investigators conducting a drug search at a massive home Vick built in Surry County found 66 dogs, some of them injured, and items typically used in dogfighting. They included a "rape stand" that holds aggressive dogs in place for mating and a "breakstick" used to pry open a dog's mouth.
Vick contended he knew nothing about a dogfighting operation at the home, where one of his cousins lived, and said he rarely visited. The former Virginia Tech star also blamed friends and family members for taking advantage of his generosity and pledged to be more scrupulous.
The July 17 indictment said dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other brutal means. The grisly details fueled public protests against Vick and cost him some of his lucrative endorsement deals.
About a dozen bright red Vick jerseys have been donated -- often accompanied by financial contributions -- to the Atlanta Humane Society since he was indicted last month. The shelter uses them for dog blankets, and to clean up after the animals.
"Kind of appropriate," said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States.
In a statement issued Monday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called on the league to incorporate cruelty to animals into its personal conduct policy.
"This case has clearly shown that NFL fans are just as outraged by cruelty to animals as any of the other antisocial behaviors outlined in the policy," PETA's statement read.
Source: AP
Comment