Losers allegedly didn't fare too well with Michael Vick. His pit bulls were often summarily executed after losing fights, according to a federal indictment that portrays a disturbing picture of animal cruelty.

In April, just before authorities raided his property in rural Virginia, the Falcons' star quarterback was there "rolling" some of his pit bulls -- that is, putting them through test fights to see if they were "game," federal authorities said.

Eight of the animals didn't make the cut, and were executed by Vick and two co-defendants by "hanging, drowning and slamming at least one dog's body to the ground," authorities allege.

A federal grand jury Tuesday indicted Vick and three others, accusing him of taking part in a well-established dogfighting operation.

The indictment lists numerous dog fights conducted by Vick and his associates going under the name "Bad Newz Kennels" since 2002. Often those dogs lost and met terrible fates.

In March 2003, Vick and others sponsored a 35-pound female pit bull in a fight that had a $26,000 purse. After the fight, Purnell Peace, one of the others indicted, consulted with Vick about the losing dog and Peace then "executed the losing dog by wetting the dog down with water and electrocuting the animal," the indictment states.

Later that night, a 47-pound pit bull sponsored by Vick lost to another dog. Vick went out to a vehicle and retrieved a book bag with $23,000 in cash to pay off losses from the two matches.

Also that month, another female pit bull sponsored by Vick lost in a match that had a $6,000 purse, the indictment alleges. The dog was shot to death.

Vick, 27, also known as "Ookie," according to the indictment, is expected to be given a date when he must surrender and make his initial court appearance. The moniker was given to him years ago by his aunt.

Vick and three others -- Peace, 35; Quanis L. Phillips, 28; and Tony Taylor, 34 -- are charged with one count: "Conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture."

If convicted of the Travel Act portion of the conspiracy charge, the defendants face a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted on the animal fighting venture portion of the conspiracy charge, each defendant faces a year in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Taylor lived at Vick's property and licensed the kennel with Surry County officials. Phillips, who grew up with Vick, once worked for Vick's sports marketing company, MV7 Marketing.

Vick has said little about the case since the initial raids April 25 and 26 on his 15-acre property in Surry County, Va., a rural area across the James River from his hometown of Newport News.

"I'm never there. I'm never at the house, " he said in late April. "I left the house with my family members and my cousin. They just haven't been doing the right thing. The issue will get resolved.

"It's unfortunate I have to take the heat behind it. If I'm not there, I don't know what's going on. It's a call for me to really tighten down on who I'm trying to take care of. When it all boils down, people will try to take advantage of you and leave you out to dry. Lesson learned for me."

But the indictment, which lists three unnamed, cooperating witnesses, places Vick on the property as recently as April.

The indictment said Vick purchased the property in June 2001, "as the main staging area for housing and training the pit bulls involved in the dog fighting venture and hosting dog fights."

Shortly afterward, ac-cording to the indictment, the four men started buying up pit bulls: four from North Carolina, one from New York, six dogs and six puppies from Richmond. They allegedly built a fence on the back of the property to shield the compound from public view. They built several sheds to hold training equipment and injured dogs and as a place to organize fights, authorities allege.

By February of the next year, they allegedly began testing the pit bulls at the property and killing ones that weren't good fighters. The indictment said Peace, Phillips and Taylor killed at least five dogs, four by gunshots and one by electrocution.

The indictment alleges Vick and his co-defendants started sponsoring fights in earnest in the spring of 2002 through 2005, betting thousands on a single fight. Dogs such as Maniac, Big Boy and Trouble fought. Participants came from various states, including New York, Texas and North Carolina.

They bought Bad Newz Kennels shirts and headbands to promote the operation.

The indictment states that Vick, two of his co-defendants and two others continued this year the operation at Vick's property. Authorities searching the property found a "rape stand," a device used to hold an aggressive female dog for breeding, a "break stick" used to pry open fighting dogs' mouth and a treadmill to condition dogs.

Authorities came to Vick's compound April 25 after arresting his cousin, Davon Boddie, who lived there, on drug charges. Police said they made their case against Boddie a week before, in Hampton, Va., where a police dog named Troy sniffed marijuana in the trunk of a car.