Michael Vick learned his fate Monday.

The suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback was sentenced to 23 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson in Richmond, Va., after pleading guilty in August to a dogfighting conspiracy charge. The former first-round draft pick faced a maximum of five years in prison, but prosecutors recommended a year to 18 months behind bars.

Two of Vick's three co-defendants, Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace, were sentenced to 18 and 21 months in prison last month.


The fourth co-defendant, Tony Taylor, who was the first of the defendants to plead guilty, will be sentenced Friday.

The sentencing began around 10 a.m. ET. Vick wore a black and white striped jumpsuit in the courtroom and apologized to his friends and family. The passer's younger brother, Marcus, sat with their mother and comforted her as she wept during the proceeding.

Protesters lined the streets outside of the courthouse holding signs against dogfighting and animal abuse. Also present were Vick supporters, who wore No. 7 jerseys.

Vick voluntarily began serving his sentence on Nov. 19, which the quarterback's lawyer said showed he was willing to take responsibility for his actions.

However, Hudson felt that discrepancies in Vick's case proved that he didn't totally accept responsibility for his actions, ESPN reported. When he accepted his plea agreement in August, Vick said he was present while dogs were killed but didn't actually kill them. According to ESPN, Peace and Phillips testified that Vick hung dogs, and the quarterback later admitted to placing nooses around the necks of some dogs.

The judge also said that Vick's bankrolling of the "Bad Newz Kennels" operations enabled the dogfighting to take place. In a plea agreement, Vick admitted bankrolling the dogfighting ring on his 15-acre property in rural southeastern Virginia. He also admitted providing money for bets on the fights but said he never shared in any winnings.

Vick also violated the terms set for his release after he pleaded guilty when he tested positive for marijuana in September. Hudson imposed a curfew and electronic monitoring for the infraction.

The case against Vick and his three co-defendants began in April when a drug investigation of a Vick relative led authorities to the Surry County property, where they found dozens of pit bulls and an assortment of dogfighting paraphernalia.

Vick has been suspended from the NFL indefinitely.

The four defendants still face state charges from Virginia. Vick's trial is set for April.