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player ready...Authorities investigating felony dogfighting at a Surry County, Va., property owned by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick could have enough evidence to present to a specially called grand jury before a scheduled July session, Commonwealth Atty. Gerald Poindexter told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday.
That evidence includes possible testimony from two people who have contacted authorities — one out of state — claiming they have information to assist the investigation. Poindexter was doing due diligence Tuesday on the background of one of the people who has contacted him about the investigation. Investigators plan to make a similar trip soon concerning the out-of-state contact.
Vick, a licensed dog breeder in Virginia, has not been charged. In his one public statement on the investigation, Vick has denied any involvement in illegal dogfighting, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison. In April, he blamed family members who lived at the property for the situation. Vick has since refused comment on the advice of his attorney Lawrence Woodward, who has not returned repeated phone messages.
Poindexter again cautioned that up to 10 people had access to Vick’s 15-acre property and that the investigation could be focused on more than one person. Poindexter would not identify Vick as one of those people.
Poindexter said that initial searches of the property in April show that dogfighting likely occurred at the property. Authorities seized 66 dogs and other objects, such as treadmills, medicines and other equipment believed to be related to dogfighting. Three envelopes addressed to “M. Vick” were seized. A room inside the house had blood-spattered walls, which investigators believe is a fighting pit.
Poindexter and Surry County Sheriff Harold Brown did not execute a search warrant requested and authorized last week by a deputy sheriff, who wrote in the warrant that the U.S. Department of Agriculture wanted another search of the property to look for dog carcasses and other forensic evidence.
After receiving information from an informant, investigators wanted to look under floors of the fighting pit and dig under and disassemble some structures on the property for dead dogs and blood evidence, Poindexter said. The USDA is assisting in the forensic part of the investigation, Poindexter said.
The search warrant was obtained by Virginia news outlets.
Poindexter said some language in the warrant prompted enough concerns for it not to be executed. However, the request has a “10- to 15-day” life where the denial could be lifted and investigators could execute the search.