He faces at least a year in prison. U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson, who announced the plea agreement in a meeting with reporters in his courtroom, will sentence Vick, probably at the end of November.
Vick, 27, finds himself in a rarefied group of athletes, along with Shoeless Joe Jackson and Mike Tyson, whose careers were cut short or interrupted at their peak because of legal problems.
Three of Vick's co-defendants have already pleaded guilty in the case, acknowledging that Vick "almost exclusively funded" the enterprise, Bad Newz Kennels, and the gambling associated with it.
One of the co-defendants, Quanis L. Phillips, said that he, Vick and another co-defendant, Purnell A. Peace, killed about eight dogs in April that did not perform well by hanging or drowning them at a property owned by Vick in Surry, Va.
In a statement released yesterday afternoon, the NFL accused Vick of lying to commissioner Roger Goodell and to the Falcons early in the investigation.
"We are aware of Michael Vick's decision to enter a guilty plea to the federal charges against him and accept responsibility for his conduct," the NFL's statement said.
"We totally condemn the conduct outlined in the charges, which is inconsistent with what Michael Vick previously told both our office and the Falcons. We will conclude our own review under the league's personal conduct policy as soon as possible."
Goodell is expected to review the details of the plea deal when they are released next week, paying special attention to Vick's involvement in gambling, which is prohibited by the league's personal conduct policy. Violating those rules could subject Vick to a lifetime suspension.
The NFL also has instructed the Falcons not to take action against Vick until Goodell makes his decision.
