Michael Vick Signs Plea Deal, Admits to Business Involving Dogfighting

Friday, August 24, 2007

                                                      

Fox News -Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick signed a plea deal Friday, admitting to dogfighting allegations that include promoting a business enterprise that involves gambling.

The plea agreement says the business enterprise involves sponsoring and transporting dogs in dogfighting operations.

Vick agrees that the ‘Bad Newz Kennels’ business enterprise involved gambling activities in violation of laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, according to the plea agreement.

Click here to read Vick’s plea agreement.

Vick knew dogs that did not perform well were being killed in the summer of 2002, but he did not kill any dogs, according to the plea agreement.

Last April, Vick and two co-defendants tested the fighting skills of dogs and the three agreed to kill six to eight dogs that did not perform well. All were killed by various methods that included hanging and drowning.

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback is scheduled to formally enter his plea Monday in U.S. District Court.

Meanwhile, the NFL quarterback’s father asked his son to give up dogfighting, or to at least put property used in the venture in the names of others to avoid being implicated, a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said.  [ Full Story ]