Ron Mexico

Michael Vick IndictedFeds: Falcons QB, cohorts executed pit bulls that failed fight testsJULY 17--NFL star Michael Vick was indicted today on a federal conspiracy charge for his alleged role in a dog fighting venture that operated from a Virginia property owned by the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. A copy of the indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court in Richmond, can be found below. The 27-year-old Vick, whose nickname is listed as "Ookie" in the indictment, allegedly established the Bad Newz Kennels in early-2001 in Smithfield, Virginia. It was this property, for which Vick paid $34,000, that the star athlete and his codefendants used as the "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture and hosting dog fights." According to prosecutors, Vick and his cohorts began purchasing pit bull puppies in late-2001 and would eventually "sponsor" individual dog fights with purses as high as $26,000. In the indictment's most harrowing parts, federal investigators describe what happened to some Bad Newz Kennels dogs that either lost matches or did not perform well in test fights. After a March 2003 loss by a female pit bull, codefendant Purnell Peace, "after consulting with Vick," electrocuted the animal. In April, prosecutors allege, Vick, Peace, and Quanis Phillips, "executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions." These animals, the indictment claims, were killed "by various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground." (18 pages)Vick indictment details dogfighting plansJuly 18, 2007By Saheed Ahmed Cox News ServiceATLANTA — A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick for his alleged role in a dogfighting operation in Virginia.In addition to Vick, 27, the 18-page federal indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, also names three other defendants: Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach; Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta; and Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Va.The grand jury charged that the four purchased a parcel of land to serve as the main staging area to house and train pit bulls and to host fights.The indictment said the four established a kennel, purchased pitbulls, trained and bred them and went to several locations to engage them in fights. The location also played host to several dog fights attended by competitors from several states.And when the dogs didn't perform well in initial testing, they met a cruel fate. The indictment says "In or about April 2007, 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, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."If convicted on the travel portion of the charges, each of the four face a maximum of five years in prison. If convicted on the animal fighting charge, each face one year in prison.Starting the ventureAccording to prosecutors, Vick paid $34,000 to purchase a property in Smithfield, Va., in June 2001, and the four men formed a dog fighting enterprise that they named "Bad News Kennels."They set about purchasing dogs and puppies from several sellers, paying — in one case — about $1,000 for four pit bull puppies.The men, aided by others, then set about making alterations to the property, such as erecting a fence to shield the back of the compound from public view. Also included in the alterations: "kennels and buried car axles with chains for the pit bulls. The buried car axles allow the dog chains to pivot, allowing the pit bulls to avoid getting tangled in the chains."Testing the dogsThe following year, Peace and Vick "rolled" or tested some of the fighting dogs, the indictment said.The men placed the dog in a short fighting match to see how well it fared.That February, Peace killed a poor-performing pit bull by shooting it with a 0.22 caliber pistol. And as the months went on, various defendants are accused of shooting dogs that didn't live up to fighting standards.The fights beginAt this point, page after page of the indictment details several fights that the defendants either hosted at the property or took their dogs to. The fights involved dogs with names such as "Seal," "Maniac," and "Zebro."The men hosted dog fighting competitions at the location where participants and dogs traveled from South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Texas, Alabama and elsewhere.The purse for each fight would range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and each bout would last until one of the dogs died or surrendered. A purse for one such fight was established at $10,000 per side, meaning that the winner stood to win $20,000.The losing dog would be put to death by drowning, hanging, gunshot, electrocution or a different method, the indictment alleged."In or about March of 2003, Peace, after consulting with Vick about the losing female pit bull's condition, executed the losing dog by wetting the dog down with water and electrocuting the animal," the indictment said.The situation this yearAs late as April of 2007, the four men continued fighting the dogs — "approximately 54 American Pit Bull Terriers, some of which had scars and injuries appearing to be related to dog fighting; a 'rape stand,' a device in which a female dog who is too aggressive to submit to males for breeding is strapped down with her head held in place by a restraint," and more.Vick's denialsVick, one of the highest-paid players in the National Football League, has denied any involvement in dogfighting. In his one statement on the issue, speaking from New York before the NFL Draft, Vick told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he was not involved in dogfighting and claimed relatives were responsible for his trouble.Vick has bred and sold pitbulls and other breeds through two companies: Mike Vick K-9 Kennels and MV7 Inc. (named for his initials and his football jersey number). The companies' Web site — recently taken offline — described their animals as "family pets.""We do not promote, support or raise dogs for fighting, " the Web site said, "and will not knowingly sell, give or trade any dog that may be used for fighting."http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0717072vick1.html(The above link will take you to the Indictment itself online.)




http://alt.cimedia.com/ajc/pdf/vick0717.pdf