RICHMOND, Va. -- Two of fallen NFL star Michael Vick's co-defendants were sentenced Friday to 18 months and 21 months in prison on federal dogfighting conspiracy charges.

Union Argues Vick Should Keep Bonus Money

Quanis Phillips, of Atlanta, and Purnell Peace, of Virginia Beach, could have received up to five years in prison -- the same maximum Vick faces when he is sentenced Dec. 10.

Sentencing guidelines called for punishments of 12 to 18 months for Peace and 18 to 24 months for Phillips, who has a more extensive criminal record.

Prosecutors recommended sentences at the low end of the range because of the co-defendants' cooperation -- they pleaded guilty last summer and agreed to testify against Vick. But U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson said he felt sentences on the high end of the range were appropriate because of the nature of the crime.

Vick voluntarily began serving his sentence Nov. 19. He is being held in a state jail in Warsaw, Va.

The fourth co-defendant, Tony Taylor, of Hampton, who was the first to plead guilty, will be sentenced on Dec. 14.

All four defendants also face state charges in Virginia.

The case 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. The four men allegedly operated the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting enterprise out of a Surry County property that was owned by Vick, and executed several dogs. According to court documents, Vick also financed the operation.