Culpepper, three other Vikings charged in boat party scandal By JEFF BAENEN, Associated Press Writer December 15, 2005 MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Quarterback Daunte Culpepper and three other Minnesota Vikings were charged Thursday with three misdemeanors each for taking part in a bawdy boat party earlier this season on Lake Minnetonka. Culpepper, Bryant McKinnie, Fred Smoot and Moe Williams were charged with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct and lewd or lascivious conduct, according to court papers. If convicted, each player faces up to a maximum of 90 days in jail and a $10,000 fine on each count. Prosecutor Steve Tallen's decision was based on findings by the Hennepin County sheriff's office, whose investigators reviewed allegations of lewd and drunken behavior aboard a floating party Oct. 6 that involved some Vikings players. Crew members complained that some people took off their clothes and engaged in public sex acts during the cruise, according to Stephen Doyle, an attorney representing the boat owners, Al & Alma's Supper Club and Charter Cruises in Mound. The crew members identified 17 Vikings among about 90 people on the two boats. The court papers released Thursday said Smoot and defensive end Lance Johnstone arranged the charter. Smoot declined comment in the team's locker room before practice. Both Culpepper and Williams are on injured reserve and in rehabilitation on their own, away from the team. McKinnie wasn't seen in the locker room. Vikings coach Mike Tice was careful with his reaction. "According to NFL rules and union contracts, there is a large difference between allegations and charges and convictions," Tice said. "So until at any point there is a conviction of some type, if there is, I have no action to take and nothing to say." After that, Tice threatened to stop talking to reporters if anyone asked more questions about the allegations. Reports that some women at the party were paid to come from outside Minnesota had raised the possibility of federal charges, but U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger said Thursday that no such charges would be brought. Heffelfinger cited insufficient evidence. That decision, along with sheriff's decision to send the case to Tallen's office, meant any charges would be minor. Tallen is the prosecuting attorney for the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District, which handles nonfelony crimes committed on the big lake just west of Minneapolis. The boat scandal hit the Vikings when they were already reeling, off to a 1-3 start, and made them the object of national ridicule on late-night TV and cable sports channels. New owner Zygi Wilf, who had been seeking state help for a new stadium, responded forcefully, apologizing to Gov. Tim Pawlenty and other state officials and instituting a new code of conduct. The team has since recovered on the field and, with quarterback Brad Johnson replacing the injured Culpepper, reeled off six straight wins to become a playoff contender at 8-5. Running back Michael Bennett said he didn't think the charges would hurt the team heading into Sunday's game against Pittsburgh. "Everybody's upbeat," he said. "We have the distraction today, but again we've dealt with it pretty well. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_y...B?slug=ap-vikings-boatparty&prov=ap&type=lgns
Sounds like it was the boat staff that had the problem with all of the activities. Since it was Smoot who chartered the boat, I would blame his ass for not getting people that would keep their mouth shut.
Just a couple of playa's trying to get some on the side...No biggie, unless your the police...Pics would be nice...of the girls that is...
Do you consider this nothing: "Witnesses reported that they saw McKinnie "pick up a naked woman, place her on the bar in the lounge area, and commence to perform oral sex on the woman." At a different time in the evening, the witnesses said they saw "Mr. McKinnie along with three other unidentified males receiving oral sex from four women while the men were seated in deck chairs on the boat."" http://www.startribune.com/stories/510/5784419.html Do you think the employees of the charter as well as the charter owners should be subjected to this kind of behavior? This behavior did not take place in a private area, but in view of other guests and staff (no pun intended).
It was a chartered boat so I assume there wasn't any "other guests" and it was a private party. It appears all the people involved were engaged in consesual activity in the middle of a freaken lake at night. Assuming the didn't harrass or assault the staff, it seems much to do about nothing to me--or minimally low level misdemeaner kind of stuff.
Sorry, but if I were a worker on that boat, I would be extremely offended and uncomfortable if I saw folks engaged in oral sex and other activities. The boat that was chartered was from a "mom and pop" charter company and there was no indication this sort of behavior would be going on. Wouldn't you consider the folks invited to the party to be "guests"? Although the activity was "consenual", it was probably illegal considering some of the women were flown in from Atlanta. So far there has not been enough evidence for prostitution charges, but reading between the lines certainly indicates it.
where are all the people who talk about if they were an athlete they would get in trouble, blah, blah, blah. the only reason this is news is because they are million dollar athletes. the police had a press conference to announce misdemeanor charges. if you got caught they wouldn't be considering some old federal law about tranporting women across state lines for prostitution.
