Doomsday101
Well-Known Member
- Messages
- 107,762
- Reaction score
- 39,034
RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- One of the co-defendants in the Michael Vick federal dogfighting case entered a guilty plea on Monday and pledged to fully cooperate with prosecutors.
Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Virginia, appeared in Richmond's federal court to change his plea under the plea bargain. He will be sentenced December 14.
Taylor, along with Vick and two other co-defendants, had pleaded not guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The trial for all four defendants is scheduled for November 26.
Vick, 27, is the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.
In addition to Vick and Taylor, the other defendants are Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.
They were charged by a federal grand jury last week with organizing bloody and vicious dog fights on a piece of property that Vick bought in 2001. They also are accused of transporting and delivering dogs across state lines.
The indictment says Taylor discovered the site that became the Bad Newz Kennels -- the staging area for housing and training the pit bulls and hosting dog fights.
Prosecutors also accuse Taylor of helping to buy pit bulldogs and puppies, and of executing at least two dogs "who did not perform well in 'testing' sessions ... by shooting one dog and electrocuting the other."
If the men are convicted on both portions of the conspiracy charge, they each could be sentenced to up to six years in prison and fined $350,000, prosecutors said.
The indictment says dogs that didn't show enough fighting spirit or lost matches also were put to death by drowning and hanging.
Prosecutors allege that on one occasion earlier this year, Vick participated in killing eight dogs.
Vick is one of pro football's highest-profile and highest-paid players, signing a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons in 2004. He was a standout at Virginia Tech and the first player chosen in the 2001 NFL draft. E-mail to a friend
Tony Taylor, 34, of Hampton, Virginia, appeared in Richmond's federal court to change his plea under the plea bargain. He will be sentenced December 14.
Taylor, along with Vick and two other co-defendants, had pleaded not guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The trial for all four defendants is scheduled for November 26.
Vick, 27, is the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons.
In addition to Vick and Taylor, the other defendants are Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.
They were charged by a federal grand jury last week with organizing bloody and vicious dog fights on a piece of property that Vick bought in 2001. They also are accused of transporting and delivering dogs across state lines.
The indictment says Taylor discovered the site that became the Bad Newz Kennels -- the staging area for housing and training the pit bulls and hosting dog fights.
Prosecutors also accuse Taylor of helping to buy pit bulldogs and puppies, and of executing at least two dogs "who did not perform well in 'testing' sessions ... by shooting one dog and electrocuting the other."
If the men are convicted on both portions of the conspiracy charge, they each could be sentenced to up to six years in prison and fined $350,000, prosecutors said.
The indictment says dogs that didn't show enough fighting spirit or lost matches also were put to death by drowning and hanging.
Prosecutors allege that on one occasion earlier this year, Vick participated in killing eight dogs.
Vick is one of pro football's highest-profile and highest-paid players, signing a 10-year, $130 million contract with the Falcons in 2004. He was a standout at Virginia Tech and the first player chosen in the 2001 NFL draft. E-mail to a friend
