Vick faces prison time after agreeing to plead guilty
ESPN.com news services
Updated: August 20, 2007, 3:44 PM ET
RICHMOND, Va. -- 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 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. Prosecutors, who were seeking a prison term of 12 to 18 months, have yet to formally agree to the plea, a source told ESPN's Kelly Naqi.
"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 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.
Vick's plea hearing will be Aug. 27 at 10:30 a.m. ET, Martin said. Judge Henry Hudson said Monday that no details of the plea agreement will be made public before Vick's hearing.
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 will likely suspend Vick indefinitely and that a final decision on Vick's suspension will be made after his legal case is resolved.
The Falcons will not release Vick immediately; rather, they will wait to see what Goodell does and what is in the statement of facts when Vick enters the plea on Monday, Falcons officials told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. If the league suspends Vick, the Falcons could then go after Vick's signing bonus of approximately $22 million, because if suspended, then Vick would be in default of his contract. Martin's statement came as a 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 all but means he will not face additional charges.
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 Vick, 27, participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.
Phillips, Peace and 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 Surry County, Va., 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.
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," the statement read.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2983121
The guy had the world by the tail. How could he be so dumb to put it all in jeopardy. Not to mention the horrific acts that were committed to those poor animals. I have no sympathy for him or anyone else that treats animals, or people for that matter, poorly.
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