THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
RICHMOND, Va. -- Imprisoned NFL star Michael Vick will be allowed
to finish his sentence under home confinement because there is no
room at a halfway house for him, a government official told The
Associated Press Thursday.
Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary
in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty to bankrolling a
dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia's Surry
County. He also admitted to participating in the killing of several
underperforming dogs.
Vick's lawyers have said they expected him to be moved any day
into a halfway house in Newport News. But because of a lack of
space, Vick will be released instead to his Hampton home at some
point on or after May 21, said the official, who has knowledge of
the case but requested anonymity because the individual was not
authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Vick will be on electronic monitoring and will only be allowed to
leave home for activities approved by his probation officer, the
official said. He is eligible for release in July.
The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback's lead lawyer, Billy
Martin, and agent Joel Segal did not respond to messages seeking
comment. Another Vick attorney, Lawrence Woodward, said in a
telephone interview that he could not immediately respond.
According to Vick's lawyers, the former Virginia Tech standout
plans to resume his pro football career. NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell, who suspended Vick without pay, has repeatedly said he will
review Vick's status after the legal proceedings are completed.
Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said earlier this month
that the Falcons will try to trade the contract rights on Vick to
another team. Vick, once the highest-paid player in the NFL and
among its most popular, has a contract that runs to 2013 and calls
for him to receive a base salary of US$9 million and a bonus of
$6.43 million in 2009. The remainder of the contract is worth $45.11
million, with an additional possible $3 million in Pro Bowl bonuses.
Officials of some other NFL teams have said they are not
interested in Vick because they would rather not face the wrath of
pet lovers and groups such as PETA, which has been a constant
fixture at Vick's hearings.
Vick also earned substantial sums from endorsement deals with
Nike and other companies, but that income vanished after the
dogfighting revelations virtually destroyed his image and well as
his finances. Vick filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in
July, claiming assets of $16 million and liabilities of US$20.4
million.
16:16ET 26-02-09