Plea hearing for co-defendant of Vick set for Monday

[KTA]

RICHMOND, Va. -- One of Michael Vick's co-defendants doesn't want to wait for trial.

Instead, a plea agreement hearing has been scheduled for Tony Taylor at 9 a.m. Monday in the federal dogfighting conspiracy case.

Taylor's hearing was added to U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson's docket Friday, a day after he and the other three defendants pleaded not guilty before the same judge. Vick and the others still are scheduled for trial Nov. 26.

Prosecutors claim Taylor, 34, found the Surry County property purchased by Vick and used it as the site of "Bad Newz Kennels," a dogfighting enterprise. The Hampton man also allegedly helped purchase pit bulls and killed at least two dogs that fared poorly in test fights.


ESPN's Kelly Naqi reported that according to sources, Taylor and Vick used to be close friends, but had a falling out in their relationship about three years ago.


Taylor's lawyer, Stephen Ashton Hudgins of Newport News, did not immediately return a phone message, and federal prosecutors have declined to talk about the case.

An 18-page indictment issued July 17 charged the four men with conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities, and conspiring to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture. The maximum punishment is five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

According to the indictment, the dogfighting ring executed underperforming dogs by drowning, hanging and other brutal means. It alleges that the fights offered purses as high as $26,000.

The gruesome details outlined in the indictment have fueled protests and public outrage against Vick, the star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has banned Vick from the Falcons' training camp while the league investigates.

Charged along with Vick and Taylor are Purnell A. Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, and Quanis L. Phillips, 28, of Atlanta.

All four remain free without bond. When U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal set the conditions for their release Thursday, he commended Taylor for admitting to using illegal drugs despite never being convicted of a drug offense. He ordered periodic drug testing for Taylor.

Peace and Phillips each have drug convictions and were ordered to submit to testing, as well as an electronic monitoring program. Taylor was spared the electronic monitoring.

Neither drug testing nor monitoring were ordered for Vick.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2952092

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by KTA


Taylor and Vick used to be close friends, but had a falling out in their relationship about three years ago.




uhtoh... maybe not good for Vick...

[westtxfballfan]

One of Vick's co-defendants pled guilty this morning as expected. That makes at least 5 people that appear to be lined up to testify against him at trial. (The indictment references 4 Cooperating Witnesses: C.W#1, C.W. #2, C.W.#3, and C.W. #4.) Might be time to cut his losses, plead guilty, and agree to testify against the other two.



Vick co-defendant pleads guilty

Story Highlights
NEW: Tony Taylor pleads guilty in Virginia dogfighting case

Taylor, Michael Vick and two others charged with conspiracy

All four pleaded not guilty last week

Indictment says they ran dogfighting ring, executed dogs that didn't fight well
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.