Vick co-defendants expected to plead guilty today

RICHMOND, Va. — More than a dozen satellite trucks were parked on the streets and a line of reporters formed outside the federal courthouse by 5:30 a.m. Friday anticipating the latest courtroom drama in the case of Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

The two remaining co-defendants in Vick's federal dogfighting case are expected to plead guilty in court here Friday morning as part of plea agreements with prosecutors, putting more pressure on Vick to do the same.

Quanis Phillips, 28, of Atlanta, is scheduled to enter his plea at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson. Purnell Peace, 35, of Virginia Beach, is set to plead guilty before Hudson 15 minutes later.

In entering the plea deals with federal prosecutors, Phillips and Peace could be required to testify against Vick. A third codefendant, Tony Taylor, pleaded guilty on July 30 and has agreed to cooperate with the government against the quarterback.

Meanwhile, federal prosecutors have warned Vick that he must agree to a plea deal Friday or face more serious charges as part of a superseding indictment that could be announced before the end of this month, according to two sources familiar with the investigation.

That new indictment includes at least one racketeering charge or RICO, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Next week, a federal grand jury in Richmond is expected to hear new allegations against Vick.

The ex-Virginia Tech football star was close to accepting the plea deal Wednesday, the sources said. But Vick -- who has a $130 million contract with the Falcons -- had not made a final decision because he wants to hear from the NFL what a guilty plea would do to his football career, the sources said.

Vick's attorneys did not respond to telephone calls Thursday. And the U.S. attorney's office in Richmond has declined to comment on the case.

A federal grand jury indicted the men last month on a single count of conspiracy to cross state lines to engage in illegal gambling; to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture; and to buy, transport and receive dogs for animal fighting. They face up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines if convicted.

When he pleaded guilty last month, Taylor signed a summary of facts along with prosecutors that says Vick, Peace and Phillips set up a business called "Bad Newz Kennels" in rural Surry County, Va., to raise and train pit bulls for dogfights. It also says the men gambled on the fights in Virginia and several other states and that Vick almost exclusively funded the dogfighting operation and gambling monies.

And it detailed the gruesome ways the men executed dogs they didn’t think would fight well. Taylor, Peace and Phillips shot dogs, the statement says. The indictment issued earlier last month says Vick, Peace and Phillips also executed dogs by hanging, drowning and slamming at least one dog to the ground.

In anticipation of today's court hearings, PETA demonstrators starting showing up outside the courthouse Wednesday, holding up signs stating "Prosecute All Dogfighters."