Vick's LATEST "Bad Newz" I know, I know,....but here's the latest from DA ATL............. By BILL RANKIN, JEREMY REDMON The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 08/16/07 Over the past month, the two lead prosecutors spearheading the federal case against Falcons quarterback Michael Vick have conducted the legal equivalent of a two-minute drill. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Richmond got fully involved in the case against Vick after Memorial Day and now may wind up settling it with him before Labor Day. Overseeing the case have been Michael Gill and Brian Whisler, two assistant U.S. attorneys known for their work ethic and their tenacity in a courtroom. "You can tell they developed witnesses pretty quickly because of their willingness to go after Vick," said Steven Benjamin, a Richmond criminal defense attorney. "You don't go this public and this high profile this quickly unless you think you have a strong case. They've been very efficient." Gill and Whisler have more than 20 years experience in the federal court system, prosecuting everything from white collar offenses to violent crime. They have undoubtedly drawn on that experience in their case against Vick. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Richmond publicly entered the dogfighting investigation with a search of Vick's Virginia property and effectively took over the case from local authorities. A month later, a federal grand jury handed up an 18-page indictment alleging dogfighting offenses against Vick, and one of his co-defendants has already pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate. Vick's remaining two co-defendants are expected to do the same Friday. Vick, meanwhile, is close to a plea deal with Gill and Whisler as well, say people with knowledge of the case. He is hoping to avoid more serious charges in a superseding indictment ? including at least one racketeering charge. "They have put Vick up against the wall," Michael Morchower, a Richmond criminal defense attorney, said of the prosecution team. "They have positioned [the case] so well that he has very little if any choice but to plead himself. They drafted a masterful indictment and they had more evidence to up the ante." Through a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Richmond, Gill and Whisler declined requests for interviews, saying they would rather keep the spotlight on the dogfighting case. Whisler and Gill work under U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg, who was appointed to his position by the Bush Administration in March 2006. Before coming to Virginia, Rosenberg served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Texas and worked in the U.S. Justice Department focusing on counterterrorism, counterintelligence and national security matters. He served as counselor to former Attorney General John Ashcroft and as counsel to FBI director Robert Mueller. Gill served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Dallas from 2000 to 2005 before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office in Richmond. In Virginia, he has successfully prosecuted cases involving armed robbery, racketeering and even an Internet fraud scheme in which the defendants sold counterfeit celebrity memorabilia with forged autographs to unsuspecting eBay customers. Gill was raised in Miami, Texas, by his father, a cattle rancher, and his mother, a school teacher, said Bob Webster, a Dallas attorney who served as Gill's boss in the U.S. attorney's office in Dallas. Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Gill, who got his law degree at the University of Virginia law school, worked for Strasburger & Price, a Texas law firm. "He's a Horatio Alger story," Webster said. "He's a good, solid kid. He took his ranch ethic with him to the courthouse. He was there early in the morning until late at night. He's just exceptionally bright, an outstanding lawyer." Webster said he was sorry to see Gill leave Dallas for Virginia, where his wife, also an attorney, took a job at a Richmond law firm. "When he left, it broke our hearts," Webster said. "What you see with Gill is what you get. There are no hidden agendas, none whatsoever. He is just a very, very hard worker. He has an honest face and an honest demeanor, because that's what he's all about." Webster also described Gill as a tenacious prosecutor. "If I had Michael Gill on my [butt], I'd cop a plea post haste," Webster said. Whisler was an assistant U.S. attorney in Charlotte, N.C., from 1993 to 2002 before transferring to the federal prosecutor's office in the eastern District of Virginia, where he serves as a supervisory assistant U.S. attorney. He has taken on a wide variety of cases, ranging from white-collar crimes to street-level cases involving gun and drug charges. "Brian is a very hard-working, experienced prosecutor with a good sense of judgment," said James Wyatt, a Charlotte defense attorney. "I expect he is fully up to the task of handling the Vick matter." One of Whisler's most noteworthy cases in Charlotte involved the highly publicized $17 million heist of Loomis, Fargo & Co. in 1997. A former Loomis supervisor looted the company's vault for one of the biggest thefts of its kind in U.S. history, according to published reports. In all, 21 defendants were convicted in the case ? all but one pleading guilty. "We've had our day in the sun and we're not going to gloat about the case," Whisler said, according to an Associated Press account, after the final defendant's sentencing. "We did what we were expected to do." In October 1999, then-U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno presented Whisler and a fellow prosecutor in the case, David Keesler, a Justice Department award for their work on the Loomis, Fargo case. "He's honest, a straight shooter and is not going to pull any punches," said Mark Calloway, the former U.S. Attorney in Charlotte, said of Whisler. "He's very reasonable in his approach to resolving cases, but he will try a case, too, if necessary." Find this article at: http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/falcons/stories/2007/08/16/vickprosecutors_0816.html
From CNN. Two of Michael Vick's co-defendants say in court documents that Vick participated in “executing” dogs earlier this year.
updated 5 minutes ago Vick 'executed' dogs, co-defendants say http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/08/17/vick/index.html RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Two co-defendants of Michael Vick say the NFL star helped execute dogs that didn't fight well, according to federal court documents. The court papers, filed as Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges Friday, said all three men "executed approximately 8 dogs that did not perform well in 'testing' sessions" in April of this year. Vick's co-defendants also stipulated that the money behind the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation came "almost exclusively" from the Atlanta Falcons star. Federal prosecutors had given Vick until 9 a.m. ET Friday to accept a plea deal that would require him to spend at least one year in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, reports say, but there was no immediate word on what he decided. Vick's acceptance of the recommendation, described by The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia, must receive court approval. If the 27-year-old Vick rejects the deal, he will face an additional charge under the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, a source with knowledge of the investigation told the newspaper. According to the source, who requested anonymity, conviction under that charge would be punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The new charge would be considered by a grand jury that convenes Monday. Federal judges rely largely on congressional guidelines for sentencing. Separately, the National Football League was trying to determine Vick's professional fate. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from playing with the Falcons until the investigation is finished. The league could suspend him for up to a year. Vick, of Newport News, Virginia, signed a 10-year, $130 million contract with the team in 2004. He was a standout at Virginia Tech and was the first player chosen in the 2001 NFL draft. A federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, charged Vick and three co-defendants in mid-July with organizing fights between pit bulls on property Vick bought in 2001, and transporting and delivering dogs across state lines. Both are conspiracy counts. Prosecutors said the maximum punishment for conviction on both counts is six years in prison and fines of up to $350,000. Another defendant admitted guilt and took a plea earlier. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District in Virginia on Friday. Sentencing was set for November 30, CNN affiliate WSB-TV reported. Phillips was taken directly to jail after appearing in court Friday, according to WSB, because he tested positive for drug use while out on bail. Vick, once one of pro football's highest-profile and highest-paid players, pleaded not guilty July 26. He was released without bond, but U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal ordered him to surrender his passport and dog-breeding license; not travel outside the district of his primary residence without approval; and not buy or sell any dogs. The third co-defendant, Tony Taylor, 34, accepted a plea deal July 30, the same day all four men pleaded not guilty to the allegations. He agreed to cooperate fully with prosecutors. Taylor will be sentenced December 14 and could receive up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. According to the indictment filed with the court July 17, Taylor said he and the other three men decided to start a dogfighting venture in early 2001, and Vick paid for the property in Smithfield, Virginia, used for the operations.
If he doesn't take the plea they will hit him with a RICO charge on Monday which could get him 20 years. Judges use congressional sentencing guidelines so he will get whever they say he gets. Because it's federal charges there is no such thing as parole. Not to mention if he goes to trial the gambling aspect will come out which will get him banned for life from the NFL. Not to say he has any chance of ever playing again anyway. He would be absolutely insane not to have taken the plea. I'm still waiting to hear.
He might as well face facts. The Feds got his ass nailed to the wall. If he was smart, he would plea. (Not that I know of such things but it seems the best thing to do)
I'm curious what Vick's case would be if it were to go to trial. There isn't a shred of news/evidence coming out in his favor.
Here's something about the charges and the plea deals. Plea deals leave Vick as last dogfighting defendant By LARRY O'DELL, Associated Press Writer August 17, 2007 AP - Aug 17, 10:25 am EDT http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-vickco-defendants&prov=ap&type=lgns RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Two of Michael Vick's alleged cohorts in a dogfighting enterprise entered guilty pleas Friday, leaving the Atlanta Falcons quarterback on his own to cut a deal or face trial on federal charges. With his NFL career in jeopardy and a superseding indictment adding more charges in the works, Vick and his lawyers have been talking with federal prosecutors about a possible plea agreement. But there was no indication Friday at U.S. District Court that Vick would enter a plea before any new charges are filed, perhaps as early as next week. Sentencing for the two was scheduled for Nov. 30. Vick has been barred from training camp by the NFL and is scheduled to stand trial Nov. 26. Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta entered plea agreements and joined another defendant who previously changed his plea to guilty. The agreements require the three to cooperate in the government's case against Vick. Peace and Phillips were charged with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. Tony Taylor of Hampton pleaded guilty last month and will be sentenced Dec. 14. Vick faces the same charges. "Did you conspire with these folks to sponsor a dogfighting venture?" U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson asked Peace. He replied, "Yes, sir." The offenses are punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but the exact sentence will be based largely on federal sentencing guidelines. Hudson told Peace and Phillips that certain elements of their offenses will increase their sentencing ranges. "There are aggravating circumstances in this case, there's no doubt about it," he told Phillips. While Peace was freed, Hudson found that Phillips violated the terms of his release by failing a drug test and ordered him jailed. Phillips also is on probation for a drug conviction in Atlanta, and the guilty plea could mean more jail time in that case, Hudson said. Any outcome that ties Vick to betting on the dogfights could trigger a lifetime ban from the NFL under the league's personal conduct policy. The 27-year-old quarterback was linked to betting by a statement signed by Taylor, who pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with the government, and the July 17 indictment. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell withheld further action while the NFL conducts its own investigation. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had no comment on the latest pleas. About 30 animal-rights activists gathered outside the courtroom. Afterward, as police officers cleared the scene, protesters continued waving large pictures of a mutilated dog. "This is one dogfighting ring that's been annihilated," said John Goodwin, a spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States. The four defendants all initially pleaded not guilty, and Vick issued a statement saying he looked forward to clearing his name. A statement of facts signed by Taylor as part of his plea agreement placed Vick at the scene of several dogfights and linked him to betting. Taylor said Vick financed virtually all the "Bad Newz Kennels" operation on Vick's property in Surry County. The case began with a search in April that turned up dozens of pit bulls and an assortment of dogfighting paraphernalia at the property, a few miles from Vick's hometown of Newport News. According to the indictment, dogs that lost fights or fared poorly in test fights were sometimes executed by hanging, electrocution or other means. Associated Press writer Dionne Walker contributed to this report.
Report: Vick advised to plead guilty Print this | E-mail this | Comments on this article: 1 Posted: August 17, 2007 Sporting News staff Michael Vick's lawyers have advised him to take a plea deal in his federal dogfighting case, the New York Times reports. The Falcons quarterback has until 9 a.m. Friday to accept the deal, which is expected to include a suggestion from prosecutors that Vick be sentenced to between one and two years in prison. If Vick does not accept the deal, more charges are likely to be brought against him. Vick currently faces three felony charges, and if convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. One of Vick's three codefendants pleaded guilty July 30th and agreed to testify against the others. The other two codefendants are scheduled to plead guilty Friday in Richmond. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=257323
Shoot, If I were Vick and had his money, Misters Peace, Phillips, and Taylor would have a series of unfortunate accidents rendering them unable to testify in the main trial. They aren't exactly stand-up citizens...the defense will put cannon-ball size holes in their credibility if he doesn't plea...just watch. With his millions, friends that are a bunch of ghetto G's with nothing to lose, and this situation, I foresee some whacking. No matter what Vick did, the fact that his boys are selling him out is dispicable-fuckin' rats!
My money says Vick is most definitely going to plead out. No doubt in my mind. Especially since he could face federal racketeering charges if he doesn't. And here's the thing. The longer he waits, the more charges he can potentially get smacked with before such plea. And once smacked, he'll have to answer to any additional charges that are leveled against him as well. A plea disappoints me for several reasons. If Pr*ck doesn't go to trial, we most likely don't get to hear everything he allegedly did, what he allegedly knew, who he allegedly knew and what he allegedly participated in. Then, his lawyers are free to spin that he's truly innocent, and what an outrage it all is; but to spare the tax-payers the expense of a trial, the embarrassment to his person being so unjustly charged, the stress upon his family, and his desire to respect the league and restore his image...I'm fit to puke just thinking about it. Pleading out leaves a lot of wiggle room as to a PR machine on his guilt or innocence down the road. Truly innocent people have had to make pyrrhic choices of the worst kind as to pleas when faced with worse options, but c'mon, we all know this isn't the case here. What's going to burn me most of all is that his lawyers will probably stand firm on his not being made to allocute as part of whatever deal it is they hammer out. I'm too jaded to think otherwise, but I'd love to be wrong.
While we're waiting. Here's the charges. ? United States of America v. PURNELL A . PEACE , also known as "P-Funk" and "Funk," QUANIS L. PHILLIPS , also known as "Q," TONY TAYLOR , also known as "T," and MICHAEL VICK , also known as "Ookie," Defendants. Peace, 35, Phillips, 28, and Taylor, 34, are acquaintances of Vick with ties to the area around the quarterback's hometown of Newport News, Va. Phillips played with Vick at Ferguson High and later worked for Vick's marketing company, MV7. Taylor's name was on the licenses for the Vick property on Moonlight Road in Surry County, Va., that is at the center of the investigation. Ookie is Vick's mother's nickname for him. ? In or about May 2001, TAYLOR identified the property at 1915 Moonlight Road, Smithfield, Virginia, as being a suitable location for housing and training pit bulls for fighting.... On or about June 29, 2001, VICK paid approximately $34,000 for the purchase of [that] property.... Vick, the first player taken in the 2001 NFL draft, bought the 15-acre property 51 days after signing a six-year, $62 million contract with the Falcons. ? In or about early 2002, VICK, accompanied by PEACE, purchased approximately 4pit bulls from Cooperating Witness Number 1 (C.W. #1) in Virginia. Four cooperating witnesses are mentioned in the indictment, none of whom are identified. "I was surprised by the number of confidential witnesses," says William Frick, an attorney in South Carolina who in 2004 successfully prosecuted David Ray Tant, at the time considered the No. 2 dogfighter in the United States. "In drug cases, people talk all the time. But in dogfighting cases people don't talk unless you've got them over a barrel. You can have the dogs and all the equipment, but a guy can say he is just a breeder. Getting that witness is key." ? In or about early 2002, PEACE, PHILLIPS, TAYLOR, and VICK established a dog fighting business enterprise known as "Bad Newz Kennels." At one point, the defendants obtained shirts and headbands representing and promoting their affiliation with "Bad Newz Kennels." Bad Newz is the street nickname for Vick's hometown. In the dogfighting subculture a brand name and a reputation make for better business. ? In or about the spring of 2002, PEACE, PHILLIPS, and TAYLOR traveled from Virginia to North Carolina with a male pit bull named "Seal" to participate in a dog fight against a male pit bull named "Maniac." ... [Bad Newz Kennels] lost the purse when "Maniac" prevailed over "Seal." The indictment *doesn't give blow-by-blow details of any fights, but it's reasonable to assume that Bad Newz and its opponents followed the so-called Cajun Rules, widely considered dogfighting's bylaws. Three of the 19 Cajun Rules prevent an owner from putting a substance on his dog that could impair an opponent. For example, Rule 15: "No sponging shall be allowed, and no towels or anything else taken into the pit by the handlers except a bottle of drink for his dog and a fan to cool him with. The handlers must taste their [dog's] drink before the referee to show that it contains no poison." ? In or about the fall of 2003, PEACE, PHILLIPS, TAYLOR, and VICK traveled from Atlanta, Georgia, to South Carolina with a male pit bull named "Magic" to participate in a dogfight against a male pit bull owned by individuals from South Carolina... The majority of fights and incidents detailed in the indictment occurred during the spring or summer or at unspecified times of the year. In 2003, however, Vick allegedly attended two fights in the fall, his third NFL season, during which he missed the Falcons' first 11 games because of a broken right fibula. Several other fights are listed as having occurred "late" in a year, which also would have been during the NFL season. ? In or about late 2002, PEACE, PHILLIPS, TAYLOR ... traveled from Virginia to Maryland with a female pit bull named "Jane" to participate in a dog fight against a female pit bull owned by "Show Biz Kennels" of New York. The purse for the dog fight was established at approximately $1,000 per side, for a total of approximately $2,000. As a dog racks up wins, the purses for its fights rise. In the case of Jane, a dog prominently mentioned in the indictment, the purses for her fights rose from $2,000 to $3,000 to $10,000 over the course of a year. A good fighting dog might have a hard time finding willing challengers in its area. Jane was allegedly taken to Maryland, North Carolina and New Jersey for fights, all of which she won. ? In or about March of 2003, VICK retrieved a book bag from a vehicle containing approximately $23,000 in cash. The cash was provided to [Cooperating Witness #2] as payment for winning both dog fight matches. The two fights between dogs allegedly owned by Bad Newz and those of Cooperating Witness #2 had the highest purses, including the most lucrative fight -- a total purse of $26,000 -- and another for $20,000. On the 16 fights for which purses were given, $114,200 (not including side bets) was wagered, with Bad Newz Kennels winning $45,200 and losing $69,000. In December 2004, Vick signed a 10-year, $130 million contract, including a $37 million signing bonus -- the largest contract in NFL history. ? From in or about late 2004 through 2005 at various times ... PEACE, PHILLIPS, VICK, and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury continued operation of the animal fighting venture at 1915 Moonlight Road and hosted approximately 10 dog fights.... Some 30 fights are mentioned in the indictment. Vick and/or others from Bad Newz Kennels allegedly participated in fights in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. Dogs from those states as well as from Texas, Alabama, Florida and New York fought at Moonlight Road, according to the indictment. The allegation that the enterprise crossed state lines elevates the charges to federal offenses. Vick could face additional charges at the state level, but not until September at the earliest. Dogfighting is a felony under Virginia law, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $2,500 fine. ? 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. John Goodwin, animal-fighting expert for the Humane Society of the United States, says he has heard many tales of how dogfighters disposed of dogs who *wouldn't fight but had never heard of someone "slamming" a dog into the ground until it was dead. "I assume these were young dogs," says Goodwin, "because the effort it would take to kill a full-grown fighting dog in this way would be incredible." Federal investigators reportedly found numerous dog carcasses on the Vick property. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/football/nfl/07/24/case.against.vick0730/1.html
That's the point. He has 3 co-defendants lined up to testity against him as well as who knows how many other witnesses. He has no case at all.
Except we will barely ever hear his name again once he pleads out. He will be done with football and that's the only reason we hear his name now.
Whoa! Geezus, you can't get any guiltier that a freaking picture! hmy: This whole thing disgusts me beyond words but, to now know they f-ing took PICTURES makes me sick to my stomach. And good god I hope those pictures are never made public...ever.
