Vick Scandal Spurs Lawsuit, eBay Sales
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick would spend less than a year in prison if he accepts the plea agreement offered to him by the federal prosecutors pursuing dogfighting charges against him.
But if a South Carolina inmate gets his way in a separate federal lawsuit filed against Vick this summer, the Virginia Tech alum would be forced to fork over $63 billion. Vick also would be required to be more considerate of the plaintiff's feelings.
Jonathan Lee Riches has accused Vick of stealing pit bulls from him, selling the dogs on eBay and attempting to use the profits to purchase missiles from the Iranian government. The complaint, which was handwritten because Riches did not have access to a typewriter in jail, also includes federal tort claims including, but not limited to, "injury to wildlife, conspiracy, illegal dogfighting, extortion, racketeering, gambling, copyright infringement, identity theft, fraud, threats to commit violent acts" and brutality.
According to Riches, Vick damaged the radio frequency identification chips in his dogs' collars so that he would not be able to track them after they were stolen. He also has accused Vick of violating copyright law by putting his name on his "personal football outfit and casual clothing" without compensating him accordingly and selling t-shirts, mugs and hats with Riches' name on them.
Riches claims Vick has pledged allegiance to the al Qaeda terrorist network and has used drugs in school zones. The complaint also says Vick subjected Riches to "microwave testing," but it does not elaborate on what that treatment entailed. "[Vick] has to stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes," the complaint states.
Vick's legal troubles have inspired a cottage industry of products that are now available on eBay. Opportunistic entrepreneurs are hawking Vick dog chew toys, t-shirts, tank tops and bandanas . The vendor behind the "limited-edition" chew toys, which cost about $25 a piece, claims they are selling so fast that purchasers should not expect to receive them until mid-September.
There are no Jonathan Lee Riches-related products up for sale on eBay at this time. -- Michael Martinez
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