Vick to be arraigned on July 26
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA (TICKER) —Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, who was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in connection with the dog fighting probe of his property in Virginia, will be arraigned on July 26.
Vick will have a bond hearing 30 minutes prior to his arraignment before United States District Judge Henry E. Hudson at 4 p.m. EDT.
On Tuesday, Vick and three others were indicted by a federal grand jury. They were charged with competitive dog fighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting and conducting the enterprise across state lines.
Dog fighting is illegal throughout the country and a felony in 48 states, including Virginia.
Hours after the indictment was handed down, the Falcons released a statement expressing disappointment and apologized to the team’s fans.
Federal agents from the United States Department of Agriculture searched the Surry County property owned by Vick on Friday, July 6.
Prior to that search, agents seized nearly 70 live dogs in April, mostly pit bulls on the land as well as dog carcasses. Investigators also found equipment commonly used in dog fighting.
In May, a confidential police informant accused the Falcons’ quarterback of being a “heavyweight” in the sport of dog fighting, according to an ESPN report.
Appearing on the network’s “Outside The Lines,” the informant said he saw Vick gamble on dog fights and bring dogs to fight from as far back as 2000.
The first quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in the NFL, Vick was still a student at Virginia Tech in 2000, one year before he was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
The informant, whose identity was not revealed, said he saw Vick involved in dog fighting as recently as last year, saying the quarterback bet “large money” on the sport.
“I’m talking $30,000, $40,000,” he told ESPN. “He’s one of the heavyweights. He’s a heavyweight. I’ve seen it.”
On April 25, police raided a house owned by Vick in Smithfield, Virginia. The property was part of a drug investigation that stemmed from the arrest of Vick’s cousin, Davon Boddie, who claimed the residence as his house.
Police found dozens of mistreated dogs allegedly used for fighting. Vick said previously that he rarely went to the house and did not know that a large kennel on the property could be involved in criminal activity.
On May 11, Vick, while speaking with reporters at the Falcons’ three-day minicamp, told reporters he could not comment on the ongoing investigation on the advice of his attorneys.
