Dog Killer Vick Faced with $900,000 Bill

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Sun Nov 25, 2007 1:45 am

Vick faces $900,000 bill for dog care

Story Highlights

Money will cover care and/or euthanasia for pit bulls found on Vick's property

Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges related to dog fighting in August

Vick turned himself in Monday to get a jump start on the sentence

Motion says Vick's financial condition is deteriorating(CNN) -- The government asked a federal court Tuesday to order former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick to keep on hand assets valued at more than $900,000 -- the amount earmarked for the care of 54 pit bulls.

The animals were found on his property when a dogfighting operation was busted last April.

Vick turned himself in to authorities Monday to get a jump start on serving his sentence for running the ring.

In a motion filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson noted that Vick, in his plea agreement, agreed to pay "restitution for the full amount of the costs associated with the disposition of all dogs" in the case.

Vick agreed that those costs could include "the long-term care and/or the humane euthanasia of some or all of those animals," which were seized from the "Bad Newz Kennels" on his property in Surry County, Virginia.

The motion said that only a restraining order can ensure that Vick's assets are not placed beyond the reach of the government.

It noted that Vick's financial condition is deteriorating, and cited the team's attempt to recoup bonus money from his 10-year, $130 million 2004 football contract; his alleged default on a $1.3 million bank loan for a wine store; another bank lawsuit seeking payment for default on a $2.5 million line of credit; and yet another bank's lawsuit seeking at least $2 million for loans related to a car-rental business.

"In addition, published reports also indicate that Vick is in the process of selling assets, specifically a suburban Atlanta home listed at $4.5 million," it said.

Vick, 27, is being held at Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw, Virginia, until an upcoming sentencing hearing.

He pleaded guilty in August to a federal conspiracy charge of bankrolling the dogfighting operation after three associates admitted their own roles in the ring and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. See a timeline of events in the case Â»

Vick, who has been suspended indefinitely by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, faces 12 to 18 months in prison on the conspiracy charge.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10.

On September 25, a Virginia grand jury indicted Vick and the three co-defendants on state charges of running a dogfighting ring.

The Surry County grand jury brought two felony charges against the four men: one count of unlawfully torturing and killing dogs and one of promoting dogfights. Each could result in a five-year prison term.

drumbunny1 · Post by **drumbunny1** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:49 am

He should be put away for a lot longer than that! Also ALL of his assests should be liquidated and all proceeds donated to animal rescue shelters (most are in such dire need!) and any proceeds he requires from then on! THEN he should be thrown in a closed ring with the biggest baddest inmate in prison....starving and beat....chewed up and spit out!!! Sorry, I feel very passionately that this man should go to hell for what hes done!:mad:

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:19 pm

Good what ever they do to him he deserves it.

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 9:35 pm

You make a good point Jester Mr. Vicks knew exactly what he was doing now he has to pay the price. I will be suprised if he actually pays a dime of the bill.

[QUOTE]I have to say off the cuff that almost a million bucks is too severe of a monetary punishment.[/QUOTE]

WonderWendy3 · Post by **WonderWendy3** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 10:03 pm

I haven't been following this story....I just pulled my head out of the sand finally....I didn't know that he's right down the street from me....I talk to a guy from the Jail he is in almost on a daily basis...talked to him today matter of a factly.....wonder if we can send a few messages to Mr. Vick....???

It sounds like what goes around is finally biting HIM in the ass, no pun intended, but funny now that I typed it out....

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 10:07 am

He's a complete chickenshit. Money isn't enough for what he did.

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:35 am

Jester;726303 wrote: Well I'll say this for him then, he's got guts to own up to what he did.

He isn't owning up to anything - he is trying to salvage his NFL career.

He has said from the beginning that he didn't know a thing about the dog fighting. Then he pled quilty because there were three people willing to say that not only did he know about it, but he killed more then one dog that wouldn't fight with his bare hands.

Then he took a PETA class to show the judge that he isn't cruel. (Although, I am not sure how taking a PETA class could negate the fact that he killed a 50 pound dog by pounding it into the pavement.)

He is really hoping that the judge sees what he is doing (and has done since he pled quilty) as remorse and let him off with a sentence of a year and a half or so instead of the 15 years that he could get.

drumbunny1 · Post by **drumbunny1** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 12:06 pm

Oh I hope he doesn't get let off!!! In regards to what Jester said...I don't believe the $900,000 penalty is too harsh at all....he did something pathetically cruel...BUT he is also a millonaire. I think that penalties should be adjusted to your income....like when Paris Hilton was thrown in "jail" she only had to pay a few hundred bucks!!! That was chunk change to her!!! We'll say someone makes $30,000 a year...a couple thousand dollar fine is going to hurt them way more! I also personally think the judge is going to try to make an example out of him....hopefully he does!!!

Richard Bell · Post by **Richard Bell** » Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:06 pm

Jester;726271 wrote: Wow!

$900,000 to put 54 dogs down! Some vet is getting away with murder!

That vet should save one big, juicy, lethal injection hypodermic, and ram it straight up Vick's worthless a$$.

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 3:56 am

Last I heard (about 2 weeks ago) only one of his dogs was euthanized for aggression issues. The rest will either be adopted out to carefully screened, pit savvy homes or kept at an approved sanctuary.

I certainly hope that "Mr." Vick is required to pay for care and upkeep on any dog kept at a sanctuary.

If a high profile football player is required to spend the maximum in jail for this - maybe those young children who look up to him as a role model will think twice before following this particular example of his. If he gets off light, it sends no message at all.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 6:47 am

Jester;727092 wrote: Uhm I agree what he did was cruel, but if he gets more than a violent criminal would get then thats a sad commentary on the the US justice system.

How much more violent does he need to be? Slamming dogs into the ground to their death and setting them on fire ought to fill the bill, no?

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:09 pm

Jester;727685 wrote: Red I know how you feel about animals, I love animals too and treating them wrong in my book is kin to mark someone as violent and havea punishment. However, Giving a sentence to soem one who was cruel to animals greater than being cruel to a human is a travesty of justice that lessens the value of the sanctity of life, and sends a message to victims of violent crimes that they are less valuable than an animal.

My comment has nothing to do with the not punishing him or saying he shouldnt get punished, it has everything to do with, setting the level of punishment that would be just.

If you want him to get fine 10 million and spend 50 years in prison thats fine with me, but the same jurisdiction better give 10 times that amount in time and fine, for similar violence agaisnt a human being.

Well, you probably know I'm disagreeing with you, Jester. Not just with you, but with anyone who feels that way, so it's nothing personal. While I certainly agree that human violence should come with a high price, all life is sacred, including that of an animal, so I feel it should warrant just as high a price. That's all I'm going to allow about it, because you know how I feel about it, but I felt it needed to be said just the same.

moonpie · Post by **moonpie** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:25 pm

This money he has to pay out is a drop in the bucket and being sent away is a slap on the wrist to Vicks with some inconvenience added to it. Thats all,

But what he really deserves, hopefully he will get in prison by some real animal lovers. I never heard if he went to a special prison or just a regular one.

Like, what would make a person be like that? Dog fighting is not a sport.

RedGlitter · Post by **RedGlitter** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:32 pm

Jester;727700 wrote: I get ya! Very well expressed!:)

;)....

LilacDragon · Post by **LilacDragon** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:52 pm

The prison sentence isn't only about his killing the dogs. But I do think that he really should get MAJOR time for that.

The fact is this - animal cruelty often leads to cruelty against other people. Studies show that spousal abusers often use the family pet to intimidate and threaten their spouse and a majority of serial killers tortured animals before moving on to people. In this day and age, with every thing that is going on in the world, animal abuse needs to be taken very seriously by our court systems and our lawmakers.

drumbunny1 · Post by **drumbunny1** » Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:59 pm

That is a VERY good point Lilac!