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Prosecutor Plans 'Host of Indictments' Against Michael Vick
Monday, September 24, 2007
RICHMOND, Va. - The prosecutor in the rural county where Atlanta Falcons
quarterback Michael Vick has admitted to bankrolling a dogfighting operation
plans to present "a host of bills of indictment" regarding the case to a
grand jury on Tuesday.
"Yes, I'm presenting matters to the grand jury that involve dogfighting at
1915 Moonlight Road," Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G.
Poindexter told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday night.
Moonlight Road is the address of the two story home on 15 mostly undeveloped
acres that has been host to "Bad Newz Kennels" since 2001. It's where dozens
of pit bulls were found in April, and where they were trained, fought and
brutally executed.
"Most of the matters that I'm presenting have already been admitted in sworn
statements authored by the defendants in the federal proceedings,"
Poindexter said.
He couldn't detail the exact indictments he will pursue, but said the local
investigation and the federal investigation largely focused on different
crimes.
"The killing of dogs is one of those statutory prohibitions. Dogfighting is
a crime, the mistreatment of animals is a crime, so you could take your
pick, or take them all," Poindexter said before cutting the conversation
short. "I don't have anything else to say about it. I'm through with it.
Hopefully it's coming to an end."
Vick, his co-defendants and lawyers will not attend the closed proceeding.
Efforts to reach Vick's lawyers by telephone and e-mail were not successful.
Vick and three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy
charges in the case, and all are awaiting sentencing in federal court before
the end of the year.
Vick, who faces up to five years in prison, also has been indefinitely
suspended without pay by the NFL and been dropped by all his major sponsors,
including Nike.
The local charges, and a conviction, could spell an end to any hope he has
of resuming his NFL career after serving a likely federal prison term. An
animal cruelty charge in Virginia is punishable by up to five years in
prison, and he admitted in his written plea to helping kill six to eight pit
bulls days before the first raid.
That alone could expose him to as many as 40 years in prison.
Vick, in his written plea, also admitted to supplying money for gambling on
the fights involving Bad Newz Kennels dogs. He said he did not personally
place any bets or share in any winnings, but gave his three co-defendants
all those proceeds.
The co-defendants, all of whom pleaded guilty before Vick and detailed what
they said was his involvement, agreed to testify against him had the case
gone to trial.
The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug
investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's
property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment
commonly associated with dogfighting.
Six weeks later, with the local investigation perceived to be dragging and a
search warrant allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own
search warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the
first raid.
Poindexter, who had been widely criticized for the pace of the
investigation, reacted angrily when the feds moved in, suggesting that
Vick's celebrity was a draw, or that their pursuit of the case could have
racial overtones. He later eased off those comments, saying that the sides
would simply be pursuing parallel investigations.
Prosecutor Plans 'Host of Indictments' Against Michael Vick
Monday, September 24, 2007
RICHMOND, Va. - The prosecutor in the rural county where Atlanta Falcons
quarterback Michael Vick has admitted to bankrolling a dogfighting operation
plans to present "a host of bills of indictment" regarding the case to a
grand jury on Tuesday.
"Yes, I'm presenting matters to the grand jury that involve dogfighting at
1915 Moonlight Road," Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G.
Poindexter told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Monday night.
Moonlight Road is the address of the two story home on 15 mostly undeveloped
acres that has been host to "Bad Newz Kennels" since 2001. It's where dozens
of pit bulls were found in April, and where they were trained, fought and
brutally executed.
"Most of the matters that I'm presenting have already been admitted in sworn
statements authored by the defendants in the federal proceedings,"
Poindexter said.
He couldn't detail the exact indictments he will pursue, but said the local
investigation and the federal investigation largely focused on different
crimes.
"The killing of dogs is one of those statutory prohibitions. Dogfighting is
a crime, the mistreatment of animals is a crime, so you could take your
pick, or take them all," Poindexter said before cutting the conversation
short. "I don't have anything else to say about it. I'm through with it.
Hopefully it's coming to an end."
Vick, his co-defendants and lawyers will not attend the closed proceeding.
Efforts to reach Vick's lawyers by telephone and e-mail were not successful.
Vick and three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to conspiracy
charges in the case, and all are awaiting sentencing in federal court before
the end of the year.
Vick, who faces up to five years in prison, also has been indefinitely
suspended without pay by the NFL and been dropped by all his major sponsors,
including Nike.
The local charges, and a conviction, could spell an end to any hope he has
of resuming his NFL career after serving a likely federal prison term. An
animal cruelty charge in Virginia is punishable by up to five years in
prison, and he admitted in his written plea to helping kill six to eight pit
bulls days before the first raid.
That alone could expose him to as many as 40 years in prison.
Vick, in his written plea, also admitted to supplying money for gambling on
the fights involving Bad Newz Kennels dogs. He said he did not personally
place any bets or share in any winnings, but gave his three co-defendants
all those proceeds.
The co-defendants, all of whom pleaded guilty before Vick and detailed what
they said was his involvement, agreed to testify against him had the case
gone to trial.
The case began in late April when authorities conducting a drug
investigation of Vick's cousin raided the former Virginia Tech star's
property and seized dozens of dogs, most of them pit bulls, and equipment
commonly associated with dogfighting.
Six weeks later, with the local investigation perceived to be dragging and a
search warrant allowed to expire, federal agents arrived with their own
search warrants and started digging up dog carcasses buried days before the
first raid.
Poindexter, who had been widely criticized for the pace of the
investigation, reacted angrily when the feds moved in, suggesting that
Vick's celebrity was a draw, or that their pursuit of the case could have
racial overtones. He later eased off those comments, saying that the sides
would simply be pursuing parallel investigations.
