RICHMOND, Virginia: NFL Atlanta Falcons star quarterback Michael Vick has plead guilty and been indicted for actively taking part in a dog-fighting ring.

The former sports star has been suspended indefinitely from his ten year-$130m contract and faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his actions.

According to facts of the case presented to court, Vick took a direct role in financing the day-to-day dog-fighting operations of “Bad Newz Kennels”, an organization located in Surrey, Virginia. According to court documents, he allegedly purchased this property for the sole purpose of having a venue solely intended for holding and training dog-fighting competitions from 2001 to April 2007.

Vick, along with four other partners, was charged with competitive dog-fighting allegedly training pit bulls to viciously maim, injure and kill other dogs in direct combat. It is alleged that since late 2001, Vick and his partners purchased American pit bull puppies and “sponsored” dog fights with purses reaching as high as $26,000.

However, according to court documents the story doesn't end there. Barbaric it may sound, 'losing' dogs from the allegedly Vick-owned Bad Newz Kennels which survived a fight were allegedly executed, either by electrocution, hanging, drowning, gun fire or even the co-defendants themselves allegedly bludgeoning the dogs to death. According to prosecutors, the defendants admitted to killing as many as eight dogs in this manner. Other charges filed against the four defendants include purchasing these dogs for the sole purpose of the illegal sport, as well as holding dog-fighting competitions across state lines.

Since the case opened last month, authorities have already confiscated a total of 66 dogs from the Bad Newz kennel, including 55 pit bulls. These animals are currently being held at several unnamed shelters in Virginia. Half of these dogs were allegedly found tied by heavy chains to car axles, allowing them to get close to each other without having physical contact. An undisclosed amount of dog-fighting equipment was also impounded.

As of yet, the fate of these dogs are still uncertain. The US Government has requested the help of animal-behavior consultants from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to evaluate if the dogs can still be adopted or not. However many other animal-welfare groups have accepted that these dogs will most likely be humanely euthanized as they were bred to fight and attack other animals.

Vick allegedly agreed to plead guilty to the charges is the plea bargain reportedly made by his co-defendants, who are expected to testify against the star quarterback.

What is beyond doubt is that his once-bright football career is over. In 2004, he signed a 10-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons for an estimated $130 million. Currently, the football star remains suspended indefinitely from playing in the NFL ever again. Vick also faces up to five years in prison plus fines reaching $250,000. Impressive endorsement deals have also been torn up - Nike was set to release a new Michael Vick shoe later this month, but has since suspended its release. In addition, Reebok has stopped selling their Michael Vick-branded sports apparel.