Former NFL superstar Michael Vick’s father has been charged in a large-scale heroin distribution scheme along with 11 other people, according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday.
Michael Dwayne Boddie of Hampton, Virginia, was charged with dealing heroin and money laundering.
And while seven of the 12 made initial appearances Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, Boddie remains at large, according to The Virginia-Pilot.
According to federal investigators, the alleged narcotic distribution conspiracy began in 2014 and involved more than 1 kilogram of heroin, according to the indictment.
It’s unclear if Baddie, 55, has a relationship with the former quarterback, who was once estranged from his father and convicted of operating a major dogfighting ring 10 years ago, derailing what some considered a sure-fire Hall of Fame career.
The No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL Draft was one of the most electrifying players the league had ever seen at quarterback — a certified superstar for the Falcons — when he pleaded guilty to the federal charges. Vick was sentenced to 21 months in prison, but he returned to the league in 2009. Atlanta released Vick that year, but he went on to play for the Eagles, Jets and Steelers.
Vick retired this year after playing 13 years in the NFL.
Boddie’s other son, Marcus Vick, was arrested in Newport News, Virginia, on an ecstasy possession charge last year, which is reportedly still pending.
Both Marcus and Michael Vick played high school football in Newport News Public Schools. Vick emulated his brother Mike and accepted a football scholarship to Virginia Tech, playing quarterback, however, he was suspended for the entire 2004 season due to numerous criminal convictions. Vick then declared himself eligible for the NFL spring draft in 2006 but went undrafted. He was later signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent, playing in part of one game, but was released on May 1, 2007.
