5 Athletes and Their Illegal Activities
People used to look at professional athletes and think they were all good law abiding citizens. Nowadays with 2 TV’s in every home and a camera on the face of every celebrity, we can see that it appears a small population of celebrities yields a high rate of crime. Or maybe that is all media hype. There are studies out there proving either side. Here are 5 athletes that had run-ins with the law and the consequences they faced. Subscribe to our RSS feed to keep up to date on interesting background check and criminal related news & articles are posted.
Michael Vick Hosting Illegal Dog Fights
The Athlete: Vick was a standout high school football player. He was awarded a scholarship to attend Virginia Tech, where his football skills grew with college experience. In 2004, Vick left college 1 year early to become the number 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. In 2004, Vick became the highest paid NFL player with a 10 year contract worth $130 million. That same year he became the first QB to rush for 100 yards and throw for 250 yards in a single game, and in 2006 became the first QB to rush for 1,000 in a single season.
The Crime: In July 2007, Vick was indicted on a federal conspiracy charge for his role in a dog fighting ring, nicknames ‘Bad Newz Kennels’, operating on his property in Virginia. Vick and his associates began buying pit bull puppies in 2001 with the intent to train the dogs to fight with purses as large as $26,000. It is alleged that Vick at one point took one of the losing animals and electrocuted it. Overall, it is alleged that Vick executed 8 dogs that did not perform well in the fighting ring. (full indictment charges)
The Outcome: On December 10, 2007, Judge Henry E. Hudson sentenced Vick to 23 months in prison, more than the 12-18 months that prosecutors recommended. Vick is required by law to serve 85% of his sentence. Once he is released, Vick will spend 3 years on probation.
Since Then: Vick is currently in jail awaiting a trial for state dog fighting charges. He is facing 2 felony charges that carry a maximum penalty of 5 years each. The NFL is fighting in courts to force Vick to repay portions of the money paid to him. Most recently, a judge ordered Vick to repay $3.5 million of his bonus money, but the NFL is asking the Judge to reverse the ruling that allowed Vick to keep the other $16.5 million.
Michael Vick Speaks Out And Apologizes
Mike Tyson Bites Off Holyfield’s Ears
The Athlete: Tyson started his boxing career with a 24-3 record as an amateur before turning professional at the age of 19. Tyson began his career as a 5’11.5” solid 221 pound body combined with above average strength, hand speed, coordination, and power intimidated opponents. Tyson won 26 of his first 28 fights by knockout, 16 of them in the first round.
The Crime: On January 28, 1997, Mike Tyson bit off a portion of Evander Holyfield’s ears during a high profile boxing match in Las Vegas. The fight started with Tyson losing the first 2 rounds. As the third round began, Holyfield got Tyson in a clinch, when Tyson rolled his head onto Holyfield’s shoulder and bit his ear, tearing a piece off from the force of the bite. Holyfield pulled away and the match was delayed for several minutes until a physician deemed Holyfield was able to continue fighting. After the fight resumed, Tyson bit Holyfield’s other ear, however the fight was not stopped. Once the round was over, Tyson charged across the ring towards Holyfield’s trainer, swinging punches at people in his way. Referee Mills Lane had no choice but to disqualify Tyson for ‘biting Evander Holyfield on both of his ears’.
The Outcome: Tyson’s boxing license was revoked and he was fined $3 million, not counting legal costs. In 1998, 17 months later, the NSAC voted 4-1 to restore Tyson’s boxing license. Tyson heavily argued that officials failed to address Holyfield’s illegal head butts early in the match, prompting his wild reactions.
Since Then: Tyson continued fighting until 2005, running a 5-3-2 record since the Holyfield incident, 50-6-2 overall. After numerous run-ins with the law since 1998, Tyson was quoted in a 2005 USA Today piece saying “My whole life has been a waste - I’ve been a failure.” and spent most of his time tending his 350 pigeons in Phoenix.
Tyson Bites Holyfield’s Ear
*Warning – Video Contains Graphic Footage Unsuitable For Some
Tonya Harding Involved In Attack on Kerrigan
The Athlete: At 15, Tonya was known for her natural athletic ability and for being the highest jumper and fastest spinner among female skaters. People were in awe of this talented young woman. In 1988 Tonya became the first American woman to win a Russian award as a skater. The high point in Tonya’s career came in 1991 at the Target Center in Minneapolis at Senior Nationals, where Tonya won her first National title. Skating two perfect programs, Tonya received a 6.0 for technical merit, the first perfect score any woman had received in this competition in nearly 2 decades.
The Crime: On January 6, 1994, at a practice session during the 1994 U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Detroit, Tonya’s ex-husband Jeff Gillooly hired Shane Stant to strike Kerrigan on the knee. Harding won that event while Kerrigan was forced to withdrawal. Harding ended up placing 8th while Kerrigan came back to place 2nd overall.
The Outcome: Harding later admitted to helping cover up the attack, and in June 1994, her title was stripped away. She received 3 years of probation, 500 hours of community service and a $160,000 fine.
Since Then: Tonya became one of the first nude internet celebrities when her and her ex-husbands honeymoon tape was sold to tabloids in 1994 as revenge for being implicated as a conspirator in the Kerrigan attack. After several run-ins with the law ranging from drunk driving to assault, Tonya started her Boxing career in 2002 and retired after 3 wins and 3 losses (2 knockouts and 1 decision).
1994 ABC Story on Harding – The Nancy Kerrigan Incident
Kobe Bryant Accused Of Raping Hotel Employee
The Athlete: Before even being drafted 13th overall in 1996, Lakers general manager Jerry West immediately foresaw potential in Bryant’s basketball ability. Bryant was initially drafted by the Hornets, but 15 days later West traded his starting center to the Hornets for Kobe. By his 2nd season, he became the 2nd youngest All-Star starter and by 2003 was averaging 30 points per game.
The Crime: In the summer of 2003, the media reported that the NBA superstar had been arrested in Eagle, Colorado in an investigation complaint filed by 19 year old hotel employee Katelyn Faber. She accused Kobe of raping her in his hotel room. After released on bond, Kobe admitted having consensual relations with Katelyn, but frivolously emphasized on consensual.
The Outcome: Hearings went on throughout the 2003-2004 season, and Kobe had to make frequent trips to Colorado and often flew elsewhere the same day to play games. Kobe’s defense team attacked Katelyn’s creditability. After Katelyn refused to willingly testify in court, prosecutors dropped the charges in September 2004.
Since Then: Kobe’s tainted publicity caused most of his endorsement contracts to be dropped, including endorsements from McDonalds and Nutella. Since then, however, Nike, Spalding, and Coca-Cola have looked past the accusations and setup new endorsement deals. Kobe continued his NBA career, and has broken many NBA records since 2004. In May 2006, Kobe’s second child was born by his wife Vanessa, who stood by his side during the trials.
Ron Artest Brawls with Fans
The Athlete: Growing up in an overcrowded 2 bedroom apartment (as many as 10 people at one time), Ron spent countless hours playing basketball for fun and for sport and was ultimately drafted 16th overall in the 1999 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. In 2002, he was traded to the Pacers. With a record 8 steals in 4 separate games, most would argue Ron is the best defensive player in the NBA of today.
The Crime: On November 19, 2004, Artest took the center state after his involvement in the most infamous brawl in NBA history. The brawl occurred in Auburn Hills, Michigan where Ron was playing a game against the Detroit Pistons. After a heated altercation between Ron and center Ben Wallace, Ron walked over and laid down on the scorers table. Piston’s fan John Green threw a cup of beer from the stands that hit Ron on his chest. Ron rushed another fan, A.J. Shackleford, who Ron thought had thrown the beer, resulting in a all out brawl between Piston fans and several of the Pacers.
The Outcome: The game was canceled with 1 minute left to play. 2 days later, Ron was suspended for 73 games, the longest suspension for a non-drug related incident ever given in the NBA. Eight other players were suspended for 1 to 30 games each. Artest lost approx. $5 million in salary due to the suspension. John Green, the fan who threw the beer, had a long history of violence including a brutal assault of a Michigan woman. He ended up spending 30 days in jail and 2 years on probation.
Since Then: Ron was traded to the Sacramento Kings shortly after the incident, where he quickly fit in. Ron spent some time in 2004 promoting his R&B album. In January 2007, Animal Services issued a pre-seizure notice to Artest regarding suspicions that a dog in his home was not being fed adequately. 2 weeks later, authorities seized his female Great Dane. That same year in March, Artest then spent 20 days in jail regarding a domestic abuse incident. Ron still plays for the Sacramento Kings.
