Investigators search property owned by NFL star Michael Vick

[Old School]

ATLANTA -- Reacting to the ongoing investigation of Michael Vick, and to the perceived fatigue that has set in on fans here as the almost daily news updates surrounding the team's star player continue, Atlanta Falcons officials on Friday dispatched a letter to season-ticket patrons asking for patience, prudence and understanding.

Vick


In addition, Vick announced on a Web site that he is canceling his annual football camp, scheduled for June 30-July 3, because of "scheduling issues."

The letter, signed by Falcons' owner Arthur Blank and team president/general manager Rich McKay, stressed that fans should permit the investigation to play out and not jump to any conclusions. It is essentially in line with a message Falcons management has publicly urged since the investigation, which is focusing on potential dogfighting on property that Vick owns in Virginia, but on which he does not reside, began in late April.

In part, the letter reads:

"Any time a player in our league -- and especially a Falcons player -- shows up in a negative light for any act, it is disappointing to us. While unsubstantiated to date, the current public situation concerning Michael Vick puts us in a particularly difficult spot because of the daily attention it is receiving in the media, and our inability to respond because we don't yet have all the facts with which to deal.

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Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, ESPN's Kelly Naqi says many wonder whether federal involvement in the Michael Vick dog-fighting case is really about cracking down on the violent activity.
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"We hope you understand it would be inappropriate and premature to make any definitive statements or take any action until we know the facts. Therefore, we are awaiting the outcome of the investigation just as you are. For the benefit of our fans, the Falcons and Michael, we hope there will be a quick and clear resolution to this matter so that we all can move forward.

"In the meantime, we want you to realize there are many examples of our organization impacting our community in a very positive manner."


The letter then delineates the many charitable functions in which Atlanta players participate, and points out that the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation has to date provided more than $10 million in grants to Georgia-based nonprofit organizations.

"Over the past five years," the letter finishes, "we have worked hard to build a winning team and a respected franchise for our fans and the Atlanta community. You have responded in a positive manner, and we thank you for your support and loyalty. We respectfully ask for your understanding as we work through our current situation."


Vick's annual camp, which he has held for the past several years, was to have taken place at the Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va. On the Web site, which was shut down late in the afternoon, the cancellation of the camp was announced, with a statement that deposits and refunds would be processed immediately.

"To all campers, Michael Vick and his staff apologize for any inconvenience," the short announcement said.

Calls to Vick's private attorney, Larry Woodward, were not returned.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

 

[Old School]

Feds file court docs alleging dogfighting operation

Feds file court docs alleging dogfighting operation

Feds file court docs alleging dogfighting operation associated with Vick property



The Associated Press is reporting that Federal authorities have filed court documents outlining an alleged dogfighting operation at a property owned by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

According to the report, the AP obtained the documents Friday after they were filed in U.S. District Court in Richmond.

The documents reportedly say that dog fights have been sponsored by "Bad Newz Kennels" at the property since at least 2002. It says participants and dogs traveled from South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, Texas and other states for the events

AP reports the documents state that members of the venture also knowingly transported, delivered and received dogs for animal fighting.

The filings say the property was the ...quote... "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture."

This comes after Ten On Your Side discovered federal agents searching the Surry County property owned by NFL quarterback Michael Vick on Friday morning. Sources said the agents are looking for more animal remains buried on the property.

Our partners at the Daily Press report that they contacted Surry County Commonwealth's Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter, who is vacationing in Louisiana. He said he wasn't aware that federal agents were searching the Surry property.

Poindexter seemed surprised at the latest turn of events in the case.

He said it has been a long time since the first search by the federal agents, and he was wondering why they haven't made any arrests yet.

"I don't know what they're doing," he said. "They haven't arrested anybody. Why don't you find out why they haven't arrested anyone yet?"

John Goodwin, the Humane Society of the United States deputy manager of animal fighting issues, is quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as saying: "This is an interesting development," when informed of the latest search warrant. "They must have some new information."

According to an Associated Press report, a backhoe-front loader was brought in and used to scoop up sections of a cleared wooded area in the rear of the property. The material was dumped into ice-filled coolers and loaded into a rental truck, which left the property. Some investigators wore T-shirts with the words "Federal Agent U-S-D-A."

Fifteen vehicles were on the property, including a Virginia State Police evidence collections truck.

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

In April, agents seized nearly 70 live dogs, mostly pit bulls on the land. A more recent search by Federal authorities, following a tip they received about possible dog carcasses being buried on the property, took place in June, but no results were ever reported. Investigators also found equipment commonly used in dog fighting.

The United States Department of Agriculture is the federal agency investigating the case. No charges have been filed.







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Feds file court docs alleging dogfighting operation associated with Vick property

 

[Old School]

http://wavy.com/Global/link.asp?L=253800



fed papers..

 

[Old School]

AP STORY


SURRY, Va. (AP) -- A property owned by Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was used as the "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved" in an alleged dogfighting operation, according to court documents.

The papers, filed by federal authorities Monday in U.S. District Court in Richmond and obtained Friday by The Associated Press, contain the address of the Vick property that has been the center of the investigation. Vick is not named in the documents.

Friday, federal agents again searched the property. They finished their work at about 4:30 p.m. and declined to answer reporters' questions as they left.

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 animals 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 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.

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, federal agents used shovels and heavy equipment to search the Vick property.

A backhoe-front loader was brought in and used to scoop up sections of a cleared wooded area in the rear of the property. The material was dumped into ice-filled coolers and loaded into a rental truck, which left the property.

Some of the investigators wore T-shirts reading: "Federal Agent USDA."

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

Investigators were digging in an area about 50 yards behind the large white house on the property. About 15 people could be seen on the property, which included kennels and outbuildings.

One of the investigators told reporters assembled outside the property that the search would take a considerable amount of time.

Located in southeast Virginia, the expansive property has a metal gate at the entrance and a fence around the perimeter, which obscured the work of investigators. Fifteen vehicles were on the property, including the rental truck and a Virginia State Police evidence collection truck.

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

Vick has said he rarely visited the property. No charges have been filed.

During an April 25 raid at the property, 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.

Later, 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 Vick's celebrity was the draw and raised race as a possible motivation.

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

Poindexter, who is on vacation in Louisiana, said he was unaware of Friday's search and was still pursuing what he called a parallel investigation.

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, although there is no record that the sale has closed.

 

[Old School]

Vick indictment seen unlikely

Vick indictment seen unlikely

Updated: July 7, 2007, 12:39 AM ET
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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."

 

[Old School]

Vick shouldn't exhale yet

Vick shouldn't exhale yet

By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: July 7, 2007, 10:19 AM ET
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ATLANTA -- For beleaguered Michael Vick, the events Friday represented more of a temporary reprieve -- with the emphasis definitely on temporary at this point -- than they did total redemption.



Although federal agents dug shallow troughs for hours Friday on the property Vick owns in Surry County, Va., combing for evidence of a dog fighting ring alleged to have operated there, the efforts weren't enough to shovel dirt on Vick's football livelihood or heap further suspicion upon his reputation. In a southeast Virginia backyard that could well have been a graveyard for Vick's career on the field and a requiem for his marketability off it, there were plenty of divots.



But none of the holes has grown into an abyss.



Which isn't to say that the quixotic quarterback is close to emerging from the deep public relations ravine that he has dug for himself this offseason.



As ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Kelly Naqi have reported, we now know there are indications Vick will not be named among the three people expected to be indicted in the federal probe. And courtesy of the sources ESPN.com has nurtured during the course of the long Vick soap opera, and who weighed in through much of the day and night Friday, it's also clear he is not out of the woods.



There were two words, ongoing investigation, employed so many times Friday by sources that they became a mantra, which should still reduce Vick to chills. If his angst is a little less pronounced now, Vick had better still keep his head on a swivel.



"Just because you've got a lot of links (lying) around doesn't mean you can call in a chain," one source said late Friday night. "But it also doesn't mean you abandon the notion of seeing if those links might someday become a chain."



Translation: The events of Friday aside, Vick remains on the radar screen of the Feds. Federal investigators tend to be incredibly thorough and dogged in their pursuit of the truth. And while the trail might be cold for now, if a scent of Michael Vick remains in the air, well, a final resolution of this case as it involves him is very much up in the air as well.



It should be noted that the source of the quote was one of the people who in late May told ESPN.com they felt there was sufficient evidence to bring a bill of indictment against Vick, but who questioned whether the quarterback could be successfully prosecuted.



Noted the same source earlier Friday afternoon: "Remember, this is an investigation into what has been considered an enterprise involving many people ... From our standpoint, it never has focused on one individual and it still doesn't."



From the standpoint of the public, however, Vick is this story.



Beyond the well-intentioned folks at PETA or the American Humane Society, how many people would have lent even a nanosecond's attention to the investigation in Surry County were a headliner's name not attached to it?



During the past three months of suspicion, rumor, innuendo and even the occasional snippet of fact, this city and its football franchise have wearily suffered through a phenomenon that has come to be called Vick Fatigue. But it is has done so with unwaveringly insufferable curiosity. Atlanta is known as "The City Too Busy to Hate." Yet the attention of the community, even those who don't hold Falcons season tickets, hasn't been so diverted in the past three months that it couldn't keep at least one eye trained in the direction of No. 7.



Arguably the most polarizing sports personality in the city's history,Vick has been an even more divisive presence this offseason, the rift often along racial lines. There are myriad fractionalized camps here. The "see-I-told-you-so legion" of critics who already have deemed Vick culpable in the court of public opinion. The cautious "let's-wait-until-all-the-facts-are-in" supporters. And the conspiracy theorists who believe there is a Mark Fuhrman element at work, even if the evidence they suggest might have been planted on his property hasn't yet born enough fruit to indict him.



The events Friday, in which it is believed that more dog carcasses were unearthed, neither merged nor eliminated any of those factions. Nor does the fact Vick will not be indicted, according to Chris Mortensen's sources, mean the Falcons' star is beyond suspicion. There are a lot of reasons that federal authorities boast a conviction rate of between 95-96 percent. The most significant one, though, is that the Feds rarely indict unless they know that there is sufficient evidence to convict.



For now, at least, they apparently haven't been able to turn the evidentiary links into a chain. And maybe they never will. Still, in late May, a confidential informant described Vick, in an compelling interview with Naqi, as "a heavyweight" in dog fighting circles. And it takes a haymaker, not a split decision, to bring down most heavyweights.



Whether such a knockout punch exists, whether law enforcement authorities can develop an uppercut as the investigation presses forward, remains to be seen.



Even after federal authorities took over the dog fighting investigation, there was always a question of how the tawdriness might affect Vick's status for the 2007 season. And there was a sense that, because of the timing involved, and the potential dilatory maneuvers that any savvy attorney would make to forestall court action, he probably could not be sanctioned during the upcoming season. That sense was enhanced Friday night.



And unless there is an unknown demerit on his NFL resume, Vick might well be beyond the reach of even the league's new and harsher personal conduct policy. The policy enacted by commissioner Roger Goodell is aimed at addressing repeat offenders, recidivists for whom the privilege of playing in the league isn't enough to preclude them from locating trouble, and Vick, despite some offensive behavior and undeniably bad judgments, doesn't have a known first offense.



So for now, Vick remains the presumptive Atlanta starter, as he has for the entire offseason. Minus, perhaps, some of the intense glare from the searing spotlight that always seems to accompany him.



As federal agents Friday paraded through the yard of Vick's property, Falcons owner Arthur Blank and general manager Rich McKay were on an African safari, and first-year head coach Bobby Petrino was in Montana for his parents' anniversary. Even from those far-flung venues, one could almost discern a collective sigh of relief.



But for an athlete whose calling card is derring-do play, being able to breathe a little easier should not be taken for granted.



Because even Friday's respite, as welcomed as it must have been for Vick and the Falcons' organization, isn't an excuse yet to exhale.


Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.