Vick's dogfighting investigation

[Kiwon]

snipped from:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/falcons/2007-07-06-vick-raid_N.htm

"During an April 25 drug raid at the property, authorities seized 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment commonly used in dogfighting. About half the dogs were tethered to car axles with heavy chains that allowed the dogs to get close to each other, but not to have contact, an arrangement typical for fighting dogs, according to the search warrant affidavit.

Investigators seized a "rape stand," used to hold dogs in place for mating; an electric treadmill modified for dogs; a pry bar used to open the clamped mouths of dogs; and a bloodied piece of carpeting.

Later, after an informant suggested authorities could find as many as 30 dogs buried on the property, including seven buried only days before the initial raid. Surry County officials secured a search warrant, but never acted on it because prosecutor Gerald G. Poindexter said he had concerns with the document.

On June 7, the day that warrant expired, federal officials executed their own with the help of state police investigators.

Poindexter publicly questioned the federal government's interest in a dogfighting case. He suggested that Vick's celebrity was the draw, and raised race as a possible motivation as well.

Poindexter and Vick are black, as is Sheriff Harold Brown.

Vick has said he had no idea the property may have been used in a criminal enterprise and blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity. He also put the house up for sale and reportedly sold it quickly."
.................................................. ......................

Local officials secured a search warrant but never executed it. Then they gripe when the feds and state police get involved? Now the race card comes out because Vick, the local sheriff, and prosecuter are black?

Something stinks in Surry County, Viriginia, and its more than dead fighting dogs.

[Scott Campbell]

Son of a bitch.


Vick indictment seen unlikely in feds' dogfight probe

SURRY, Va. -- Federal authorities have filed court documents outlining an alleged dogfighting operation at a property owned by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, The Associated Press reported Friday.

Vick is not named in the documents.

Additionally, Vick is unlikely to be indicted in the dogfighting federal investigation, according to information gathered by the NFL and Atlanta Falcons, sources tell ESPN's Chris Mortensen. The authorities have told the Falcons and league that there has not been any evidence that can be tied to Vick with the alleged dogfighting ring, the sources said.

The law enforcement authorities have privately told league and team officials that at least three people are expected to be indicted but the identities of those individuals were unknown.

The documents filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond and obtained Friday by The Associated Press contain the address of the home that has been the center of the investigation. The filing comes on a day when federal agents searched Vick's property for a second time, using a backhoe to dig in an area about 10 feet wide by 20 feet wide.

A source close to the investigation, and with knowledge of much of the evidence, told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli that the events of Friday were "very helpful in the overall and ongoing investigation into an alleged dogfighting ring at that property. ... Remember, this is an investigation into what has been considered an enterprise involving many people... From our standpoint, it never has focused on an individual and it still doesn't."

According to the documents, dog fights have been sponsored by "Bad Newz Kennels" at the property since at least 2002. For the events, participants and dogs traveled from South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Texas and other states.

Members of the venture also knowingly transported, delivered and received dogs for animal fighting, the documents state.

Fifty-four pit bulls were recovered from the property during searches in April, along with a "rape stand," used to hold dogs in place for mating; an electric treadmill modified for dogs; and a bloodied piece of carpeting, the documents said.

The property was used as the "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture," according to the filings.

The documents said the fights usually occurred late at night or in the early morning and would last several hours. The winning dog would win from "100's up to 1,000's of dollars," and participants and spectators also would place bets on the fight.

Before fights, the participating dogs of the same sex would be weighed and bathed, according to the filings. Opposing dogs would be washed to remove any poison or narcotic placed on the dog's coat that could affect the other dog's performance. Sometimes participants would not feed a dog before the fight to "make it more hungry for the other dog," the documents said.

Fights would end when one dog died or with the surrender of the losing dog, which was sometimes put to death by drowning, strangulation, hanging, gun shot, electrocution or some other method, according to the documents. The property has an above-ground swimming pool, and investigators were seen looking into the pool Friday.

During a June search of the property, investigators uncovered the graves of seven pit bulls that were killed by members of "Bad Newz Kennels" following sessions to test whether dogs would be good fighters, the documents said.

Members of "Bad Newz Kennels" also sponsored and exhibited fights in other parts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey and other states, the filings said.

Friday morning, a U.S. Department of Agriculture agent stationed at the gate on the southeastern Virginia property had no comment, ESPN's Kelly Naqi reported. The USDA is the federal agency with oversight over treatment of domestic animals and investigates dogfighting allegations.

The authorities arrived sometime after 6 a.m. ET. They finished their work at about 4:30 p.m. and declined to answer reporters' questions as they left.

Some of the investigators wore T-shirts reading: "Federal Agent USDA-OIG.''

An Associated Press reporter and photographer viewing the investigation from a helicopter could not clearly identify the evidence being collected.

State and federal investigators concentrated their search looking for dog carcasses allegedly buried somewhere behind the property, according to Naqi. At 1:30 p.m. ET, a backhoe pulled onto the property and began to maneuver by some black outhouses, located behind the main house, and headed further into the woods. Those black houses are where local investigators had found the items listed in the court documents, including the blood-stained carpeting and rape stand.

The property includes a metal gate at the entrance of the large white house and a fence around the perimeter, which obscured the work of investigators.

Corinne Geller, a spokesman for the Virginia State Police, said state authorities were working with federal investigators in an "assistance capacity."

On June 7, federal law enforcement officials descended on the property with a search warrant. More than a dozen vehicles went to the home early that day and investigators searched inside before turning their attention to the area where officials found dozens of dogs in late April and evidence that suggested the home was involved in a dogfighting operation.

Surry County officials had secured a search warrant in late May based on an informant's information to look for as many as 30 dog carcasses buried on the property. The warrant never was executed because Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter said he had issues with the way it was worded.

The results of that search have remained sealed.

At the time, Poindexter expressed surprise at why the federal government was involved.

"What is foreign to me is the federal government getting into a dogfighting case," Poindexter said. "I know it's been done, but what's driving this? Is it this boy's celebrity? Would they have done this if it wasn't Michael Vick?"

A day later, "They launched a separate, independent federal investigation," Poindexter said of the government, which has had a representative involved in the local probe all along.

A search warrant affidavit said some of the dogs were in individual kennels and about 30 were tethered with "heavy logging-type chains" buried in the ground. The chains allowed the dogs to get close to each other, but not to have contact, one of myriad findings on the property that suggested a dogfighting operation.

Poindexter, on vacation in Louisiana, said by telephone he was unaware of Friday's search and was still pursuing what he called a parallel investigation. He said he assumed Surry County and federal officials eventually will share their evidence.

Vick initially said he had no idea the property might have been used in a criminal enterprise and blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity. He also put the house up for sale and reportedly sold it quickly, although there is no record that the sale has closed. Vick has since declined to talk about the investigation.

[Kiwon]

Son of a bitch.

According to the documents, dog fights have been sponsored by "Bad Newz Kennels" at the property since at least 2002. For the events, participants and dogs traveled from South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Texas and other states.
Members of the venture also knowingly transported, delivered and received dogs for animal fighting, the documents state.

The property was used as the "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture," according to the filings.

The documents said the fights usually occurred late at night or in the early morning and would last several hours. The winning dog would win from "100's up to 1,000's of dollars," and participants and spectators also would place bets on the fight.

Before fights, the participating dogs of the same sex would be weighed and bathed, according to the filings. Opposing dogs would be washed to remove any poison or narcotic placed on the dog's coat that could affect the other dog's performance. Sometimes participants would not feed a dog before the fight to "make it more hungry for the other dog," the documents said.

Fights would end when one dog died or with the surrender of the losing dog, which was sometimes put to death by drowning, strangulation, hanging, gun shot, electrocution or some other method, according to the documents. The property has an above-ground swimming pool, and investigators were seen looking into the pool Friday.

During a June search of the property, investigators uncovered the graves of seven pit bulls that were killed by members of "Bad Newz Kennels" following sessions to test whether dogs would be good fighters, the documents said.

Members of "Bad Newz Kennels" also sponsored and exhibited fights in other parts of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey and other states, the filings said.

Vick initially said he had no idea the property might have been used in a criminal enterprise and blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity. He also put the house up for sale and reportedly sold it quickly, although there is no record that the sale has closed. Vick has since declined to talk about the investigation.

Yeah, right. Multi-state operation in business for five years on Vick's property and he doesn't know anything about it?

Man, I promise you that the sheriff and every deputy has had his palms greased on this one. What's a few dead dogs when you can make some extra money just to stay on the other side of the county a couple of weekends each month?

Vick and company really are slime. What's the African-American equivalent for "white trash?"

[RashanGary]

I enjoy watching justice being served. Even if Vick doesn't get charged with any crime, this is GREAT that the federal govt. stepped in to do a job that a lousy county prosecutor couldn't do.

[pbmax]

Bad Newz, then name of the operation, is slang for Newport News, Viginia. Vick's webage lists his hometown with an aka Bad Newz added. This tidbit from PFT.

http://mikevick.com/index_profile.html

[Bretsky]

I have a feeling that OJ Vick will get away with this. Unless the Feds pay somebody off, or reduce a sentence to get somebody to hang Vick out to dry nobody is going to talk

[Brandon494]

I have a feeling that OJ Vick will get away with this. Unless the Feds pay somebody off, or reduce a sentence to get somebody to hang Vick out to dry nobody is going to talk

QJ Vick? Give me a break.

[Kiwon]

Well, we'll see how tight Vick is with his "cousins." Are they tight enough for someone to take the fall for him? Remember, there has already been a "robbery" at the residence and any evidence linking Vick to dogfighting could have been removed (or planted, a defense team could argue).

Vick's obviously the "cash cow" for the family so there will be someone probably willing to take a bullet for him. Again, short of video, photographic, or financial record proof, Vick will probably skate on this one. In that sense, the moniker "OJ Vick" fits. I get what you mean, Bretsky.

Do the Falcons play in Cleveland this year? The Dog Pound for Vick would be something to see.

[Rastak]

I have a feeling that OJ Vick will get away with this. Unless the Feds pay somebody off, or reduce a sentence to get somebody to hang Vick out to dry nobody is going to talk

QJ Vick? Give me a break.

IF THE DOG SWEATER DON'T FIT, YOU MUST ACQUIT.

Hey, what OJ did was 100 times worse but if you ask me they are both equal worthless human beings. Life of any kind means nothing to them.

[Jimx29]

Maybe Vick will hire Nifong for representation

[BallHawk]

Maybe Vick will hire Nifong for representation

Let's just hope that Mr. $65 Million Dollar Pant Man isn't the judge.

[GrnBay007]

17 Dogs Buried on Michael Vick's Property


The Virginian-Pilot reports today that federal authorities discovered a total of 17 dog carcasses in two searches of a property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. That includes seven dogs found the first time the property was searched, on June 7, and 10 dogs found yesterday.

The worst news for Vick may be that court documents put forth by the federal government say dogfights on Vick's property involved bets in the thousands of dollars. Even if the ESPN report yesterday that Vick is unlikely to be indicted turns out to be correct, any association with gambling -- even just owning a property on which gambling took place -- could land Vick in hot water with the league office.

According to the Virginian-Pilot, the federal complaints says fights on Vick's property usually happened late at night or early in the morning, and sometimes involved two or three matches that lasted several hours. The dog fights generally ended when one dog died or surrendered. Sometimes at the end of a fight, the losing dog was drowned, strangled, hanged, shot or electrocuted, the report said.

Vick's lawyer declined to comment.

[Carolina_Packer]

He may be clear legally, but the Falcon's PR department and front office are popping alka selzer and tums like they are candy. Heck, how'd you like to be Roger Goodell right now? Damned if you suspend, damned if don't.

I'm just waiting for the first road game when they derisively play "Who Let the Dogs Out" when Mike Vick is on the field.

[the_idle_threat]

17 Dogs Buried on Michael Vick's Property


The Virginian-Pilot reports today that federal authorities discovered a total of 17 dog carcasses in two searches of a property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. That includes seven dogs found the first time the property was searched, on June 7, and 10 dogs found yesterday.

Maybe he was just into Korean cuisine?