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JULY 17--NFL star Michael Vick was indicted today on a federal conspiracy charge for his alleged role in a dog fighting venture that operated from a Virginia property owned by the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. A copy of the indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court in Richmond, can be found below. The 27-year-old Vick, whose nickname is listed as "Ookie" in the indictment, allegedly established the Bad Newz Kennels in early 2001 in Smithfield, Virginia. It was this property, for which Vick paid $34,000, that the star athlete and his codefendants used as the "main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture and hosting dog fights." According to prosecutors, Vick and his cohorts began purchasing pit bull puppies in late 2001and would eventually "sponsor" individual dog fights with purses as high as $26,000. In the most harrowing parts of the indictment, federal investigators describe what happened to some Bad Newz Kennels dogs that either lost matches or did not perform well in test fights. After a March 2003 loss by a female pit bull, codefendant Purnell Peace, "after consulting with Vick," electrocuted the animal. In April, prosecutors allege, Vick, Peace, and Quanis Phillips, "executed approximately 8 dogs thatr did not perform well in 'testing' sessions." These animals, the indictment charges, were killed "by various methods, including hanging, drowning, and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground."

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The NFL has issued a statement on the indictment of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on conspiracy charges relating to a dog fighting operation that was allegedly operated on property he owns: We are disappointed that Michael Vick has put himself in a position where a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against him. We will continue to closely monitor developments in this case, and to cooperate with law enforcement authorities. The activities alleged are cruel, degrading and illegal. Michael Vick's guilt has not yet been proven, and we believe that all concerned should allow the legal process to determine the facts. The matter will be reviewed under the league's Personal Conduct Policy. The statement that Vick's guilt hasn't been proven (not to mention the curious use of the word "yet") is noteworthy because NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated with his suspensions of Titans cornerback Pacman Jones, Bengals receiver Chris Henry and former Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson that he doesn't feel the need to wait until the legal system runs its course before issuing suspensions. Will he react to the Vick case differently?