Vick Flushed From Pocket, Changes Plea

Vick thought he was safe.  His three buddies who were helping him conspire to fight dogs were sticking with him, and all were pleading not guilty.  But not anymore.  Vick now finds himself as the only defendant in the case that has not accepted a plea bargain, and he is sure his buddies have all turned against him, providing the prosecutors with evidence in the case.

And the prosecution is getting ready to slap Vick with more charges.  So Vick scrambles, and his defense team suggests that they change his plea too before its too late.

From the Daily Press here:

Michael Vick’s attorneys are trying to reach a plea deal with federal negotiators, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. An agreement could be in place as soon as next week on the dogfighting charges that have thrown Vick’s NFL career into jeopardy.

Vick, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback and Newport News native, was apparently caught off guard when all three of his co-defendants struck plea deals and agreed to cooperate with investigators.

Tony Taylor agreed to a plea deal in late July, and Purnell Peace and Quanis Phillips struck deals on Monday. Faced with the new developments — and with the U.S. Attorney’s Office planning to seek a superceding indictment with new charges by the end of the month — the legal team headed by Billy Martin appears to have changed its mind. If a deal can be finalized quickly, Vick could avoid the additional charges expected in the new indictment.

An expert in criminal law said Vick would most likely have to serve jail time if he chooses to plead guilty to conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal-fighting venture.

There is a prison cell in Mecklenburg with Vick’s number 7 on it.