federal now baby!
Federal authorities, with assistance from Virginia police, have taken control of the investigation into possible dogfighting on Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick's property in Surry County, Va.
"I cannot comment because this is a federal investigation," said Virginia state police sergeant David S. Carr. "I can confirm that the state police did assist in today's search."
At about 3 p.m. ET Thursday, agent James Knorr of the Department of Agriculture, office of the Inspector General, telephoned Surry County commonwealth's attorney Gerald Poindexter.
"I was told they were executing a federal search warrant under seal," Poindexter said. "He said they were going out there to dig."
More than a dozen vehicles arrived at Vick's home as federal investigators began their search.
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Gerald Poindexter
Knorr invited Surry County officials to continue their interest in the case. Surry County investigator Bill Brinkman was not involved in the search.
"This is an unheard-of marriage of forces," Poindexter said. "I'm sort of amazed, to be quite honest.
"I'm almost looking for President George W. Bush to come in on a helicopter."
The warrant is from the U.S. Magistrate's office in Richmond, Va., and was issued earlier Thursday. Poindexter said the warrant was authorized by Chuck Rosenberg, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. As the chief federal law enforcement officer for the district, which includes offices in Alexandria, Newport News, Norfolk and Richmond, Rosenberg supervises the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters in which the federal government has an interest.
A message left with Rosenberg's office was not returned.
The Falcons had no comment on the new developments.
Surry County officials had secured a search warrant in late May based on an informant's information to look for as many as 30 dog carcasses buried on the property. The warrant never was executed because Poindexter said he had issues with the way it was worded.
That search warrant expired Thursday.
"This comes as a shocker to me," Poindexter said. "That's the thing that's so strange, that they've taken such an interest in this. Michael Vick is so big, I guess they want in, too. They want some of this limelight. It's like someone wants to make their bones (reputation) on this case."
Poindexter said Surry County officials were preparing another search warrant for the property.
The alleged dogfighting occurred in the top floor of a black two-story wooden structure located on the property. It was one of several shacks located in the wooded area behind a two-story white brick house. The upstairs floor is accessible only by a pull-down ladder. It was there investigators found a bloody carpet.
"There was evidence there had been a rug up there," Poindexter said. "A carpet of some kind that had covered the floor. (The area that) was covered was cleaner than the area not covered. The flooring was cleaner and left an obvious outline."
Poindexter has not seen the carpet, he said.
Poindexter said he believes federal officials and the state police were searching for various parts of the wood floor and walls which could be covered with dog blood. He believed they were also looking for dog carcasses buried on the property grounds.
"I wonder, what's the federal interest in this, with all the serious things going on in the world?" Poindexter said.
"Maybe I'm missing the boat. I see this as a class six felony (punishable up to five years in jail and a $2,500 fine). Now it's completely elevated because it involves Michael Vick."
During an April 25 drug raid on the home Vick owns in the county, authorities seized 66 dogs, including 55 pit bulls, and equipment that suggested someone at the property was involved in a dogfighting operation.
A search warrant affidavit said some of the dogs were in individual kennels and about 30 were tethered with "heavy logging-type chains" buried in the ground. The chains allowed the dogs to get close to each other, but not to have contact, one of myriad findings on the property that suggested a dogfighting operation.
Others included a rape stand, used to hold non-receptive dogs in place for mating; an electric treadmill modified to be used by dogs; a "pry bar" used to open the clamped-down mouths of dogs; and a bloodied piece of carpeting the authorities believe was used in dog fights. Carpeting gives dogs traction in a plywood fighting pit.
Vick has claimed he rarely visits the home and was unaware it could be involved in a criminal enterprise. He also has blamed family members for taking advantage of his generosity. Vick's cousin, Davon Boddie, was living at the home at the time of the raids.
Vick, a registered dog breeder, has said in more recent interviews that his lawyers have advised him not to discuss the investigation.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/falcons/2007-06-07-vick-update_N.htm