Co-defendants say Vick helped execute dogs

RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Two co-defendants of Michael Vick say the NFL star helped execute dogs that didn't fight well, according to federal court documents.

The court papers, filed as Quanis Phillips, 28, and Purnell Peace, 35, pleaded guilty to dogfighting charges Friday, said all three men "executed approximately eight dogs that did not perform well in testing sessions" in April of this year by methods such as hanging and drowning.

Peace, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Phillips, of Atlanta, Georgia, said the money behind the Bad Newz Kennels dogfighting operation, based on property Vick owns in Virginia, came "almost exclusively" from the Atlanta Falcons star. And they confirmed to prosecutors that all the accusations in the 18-page indictment are true.

Federal prosecutors want Vick to accept a plea deal that would require him to spend at least one year in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges, reports say.

As of Friday afternoon, no deal had been reached, an attorney for Vick said on Atlanta's Ryan Cameron Show on V-103 radio.

"I am under the impression that the government wants a plea to be done -- if at all -- by the end of the week, but there is no plea at this point," Danny Meacham told deejay Ryan Cameron.

Meacham disputed reports that prosecutors had given Vick until 9 a.m. ET to accept the plea deal. He said a specific deadline was never set.

Meacham also denied reports that there was a split among Vick's attorneys on whether he should take the deal or not.

Vick's acceptance of the recommendation, described by The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia, must receive court approval.

If Vick, 27, rejects the deal, he could face an additional charge under the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO, a source with knowledge of the investigation told the newspaper.

According to the source, who requested anonymity, conviction under that charge would be punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The new charge would be considered by a grand jury that convenes Monday.

Federal judges rely largely on congressional guidelines for sentencing.

Peace and Phillips face sentencing hearings on November 30. Watch CNN's Rusty Dornin's report on the defendants who 'flipped' »

Phillips was taken directly to jail after appearing in court Friday because he tested positive for drug use while out on bail.

Documents filed with the guilty pleas of Peace and Phillips detail a dogfighting ring that began in 2001 -- the same year Vick was the NFL's top draft pick out of Virginia Tech -- and went on through the spring of this year.

Phillips and Peace stipulated that they traveled with Vick to fight dogs around the Southeast and hosted fights on Vick's Virginia property.

The dogs in the operation went by names like "Big Boy," "Jane," "Chico" and "Seal," according to the court documents. Purses for each fight went into the thousands of dollars.

While Vick's legal fate was still uncertain, the National Football League was trying to determine his professional fate. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has barred Vick from playing with the Falcons until the investigation is finished. The league could suspend him for up to a year.

Vick, of Newport News, Virginia, signed a 10-year, $130 million contract with the team in 2004.

A federal grand jury in Richmond, Virginia, charged Vick and three co-defendants in mid-July with organizing fights between pit bulls on property Vick bought in 2001, and transporting and delivering dogs across state lines. Both are conspiracy counts.

Prosecutors said the maximum punishment for conviction on both counts is six years in prison and fines of up to $350,000.

Vick, once one of pro football's highest-profile and highest-paid players, pleaded not guilty July 26. He was released without bail, but U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal ordered him to surrender his passport and dog-breeding license; not travel outside the district of his primary residence without approval; and not buy or sell any dogs.

The third co-defendant, Tony Taylor, 34, accepted a plea deal July 30, the same day all four men pleaded not guilty to the allegations. He agreed to cooperate fully with prosecutors. Taylor will be sentenced December 14 and could receive up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

According to the indictment filed with the court July 17, Taylor said he and the other three men decided to start a dogfighting venture in early 2001, and Vick paid for the property in Smithfield, Virginia, used for the operations. See timeline of case against Vick » E-mail to a friend

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