Dog fighting charges for Michael Vick

Thursday, 19 July 2007

Vick - who has denied any involvement with dog fighting - and three others are charged with competitive dog fighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines. The New York Daily News reported that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will not suspend Vick based on the indictment, reasoning that it's a long way from indictment to conviction. The dog fighting operation was named "Bad Newz Kennels," according to the indictment, and the dogs were housed, trained and fought at a Surry County, Va., property owned by Vick. According to investigators, Vick's pit bulls were often executed after losing fights. The indictment alleges that in one case, eight dogs were killed by Vick and two co-defendants by "hanging, drowning and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground." he indictment alleges Vick and his co-defendants started sponsoring fights in earnest in the spring of 2002 and continued to do so through 2005, betting thousands of dollars on a single fight. An initial hearing date is expected to be set today at Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. If convicted of the charges, Vick and the others could face up to six years in prison, $350,000 in fines and restitution. After a two-month investigation, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Virginia on charges related to illegal dog fighting

 

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