According to court documents posted at the Smoking Gun, Michael Vick provided nearly 100% of the funding to buy the property (at 1915 Moonlight Road in Smithfield, VA), purchase the dogs, and run the gambling operation. Although Vick is never alleged to have actually killed any of the dogs, he is described as having been present at several fights and was aware of how and when various animals were killed if they didn't perform up to expectations.
What is potentially devastating for Vick is the following statement included in those court documents:
Taylor agrees that "Bad News Kennels" qualifies as a "business enterprise" that engaged in a continuous course of conduct and series of transactions in furtherance of the dog fighting operation from the time of its creation to his departure in September 2004.
To put it bluntly, it looks as if the Feds are laying the groundwork for filing RICO charges against Vick and his friends. What makes that particularly dangerous for Vick is that under a RICO investigation, the government (in addition to seeking up to 20 years in prison) can seize any and all money and assets if they can prove that were obtained or associated with by the "racketeering activity."
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