A trio of debt collectors is trying to force Michael Vick into bankruptcy in an effort to obtain a huge sum of cash they say the ex-NFL star owes them — but an attorney for Vick is slamming the move, calling it “frivolous.”
Court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show the three creditors — Gerald Lee Craig, Eduardo De Arkos and Kathleen Safreed — filed involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions against Vick and his wife, Kijafa, on Monday in Florida.
The plaintiffs say they have a judgment of $509,652.42 against the Vicks — stemming from a 2018 loan they say the couple never paid off.
The three are now asking a federal judge to place Vick and his wife into involuntary bankruptcy … with the hopes that they could then get back some of the money they’re owed from the duo’s assets.
Vick’s attorney, Arthur J. Jones, blasted the filing in a statement to us on Wednesday … saying, “This frivolous attempt at forcing Michael Vick into involuntary bankruptcy is a continuation of the shenanigans which began with the secondary securities market purporting to sell a usurious debt without Mr. Vick’s knowledge.”
“It is especially spurious for the petitioners to take this action after Mr. Vick has tried to work with them to satisfy the debt in an appropriate amount. We fully expect that they will be sanctioned by the federal court if they continue down this road.”
Jones added, “Legalities aside, it is also foolish to seek media attention aimed at wrongfully harming Mr. Vick’s name and reputation when the idea should be to resolve matters instead of create new ones or waste time. This law office will take all actions permissible under the law to address any and all harm caused by the petitioners with this bankruptcy filing.”
Vick has famously battled financial woes through the years … including in 2008, when he filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 2022, a group of creditors also sued the 44-year-old, alleging he owed them $1.2 million from loans he never repaid.
Vick — who announced Tuesday night he was accepting the head football coaching job at Norfolk State — reportedly made over $115 million in NFL contracts during his 13-year career.