Scandals & Feuds ·
Michael Vick’s Guilty Plea in the Bad Newz Kennels Case
The 2007 dogfighting case ended with Vick’s admission that he financed the operation and helped kill pit bulls, followed by a 23-month prison sentence and a restitution order for the dogs’ care.
Michael Vick pleaded guilty on August 27, 2007, to a federal dogfighting conspiracy charge arising from the operation on his Virginia property. In a written plea filed before the hearing, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls and providing money for gambling on fights. He said he had not personally placed bets or shared in the winnings. He entered the plea before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson in Richmond.
The case had begun that April, when authorities conducting a drug investigation of Vick’s cousin searched Vick’s rural Surry County property. They seized dozens of dogs, some injured, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting. The ASPCA, which assisted investigators, says its work included recovering and analyzing carcasses and skeletal remains of pit bulls from the property.
A federal grand jury indicted Vick and three other men in July. Prosecutors alleged that the operation, known as Bad Newz Kennels, had bought and trained pit bulls, hosted fights on the property and taken dogs across state lines to fight. The indictment also alleged that dogs judged unsuitable for fighting, or that lost matches, were killed. At that stage, Vick had denied involvement in or knowledge of a dogfighting ring, while acknowledging that he had a kennel operation on the property. All four defendants initially pleaded not guilty.
By August, the other three defendants had changed their pleas to guilty, and Vick followed. His admissions went beyond financing the operation: according to the Associated Press account of his plea agreement, he acknowledged helping kill pit bulls that had performed poorly in test fights. The NFL suspended him indefinitely and without pay after his written plea agreement was filed. He had also lost several endorsement deals amid the public backlash over the allegations.
On December 10, Hudson sentenced Vick to 23 months in federal prison. Vick, wearing a black-and-white striped prison suit, apologized to the court and his family, the Associated Press reported. The judgment adjudicated him guilty of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture. It also imposed three years of supervised release, during which he was forbidden to purchase, possess or sell a dog.
The court separately ordered Vick to pay $928,073.04 in restitution for the past, present and long-term care of the dogs that had been the subject of a related civil case. The order said the money was already in escrow and directed that it be transferred to the court for disbursement.
An ASPCA-led team evaluated 49 rescued pit bulls. According to the organization, one was deemed behaviorally unfit for rehabilitation and recommended for euthanasia. A federal judge determined the disposition of the remaining 48, which were placed with sanctuaries and rescue groups. Some were subsequently made available for public adoption.