The investigation into Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick’s alleged involvement with dogfighting gathered steam this week when a prosecutor investigating the case announced that several informants had come forward with information tying Vick to the illegal activity.
Among the informants was an inmate from a South Carolina prison who claimed that he attended dogfights with Vick and saw the former Virginia Tech star bet large sums of money on the fights.
The case against Vick began April 25, 2007, when police raided a Portsmouth, Va., home that Vick owns – but, according to the football star, rarely visits – to investigate a possible drug charge. Police found 66 dogs, 55 of them Pit Bulls, plus items associated with dogfighting, including treadmills, syringes, a “pry bar” used to pry open a dog’s jaws, and a bloodstained carpet.
Prosecutor Gerald Poindexter said they also found blood on a floor in the home. Several dogs had old scars that could be consistent with dogfighting injuries, but authorities have said the dogs appeared to be generally healthy.
Vick, a native of Newport News, Va., is also a dog breeder. He has said he let a cousin live at the rural home and that he was unaware a large kennel on the property could be involved in criminal activity.
No charges have been filed in the case.