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https://www.wsj.com/articles/arrests-expected-in-probe-of-alleged-bribery-kickbacks-at-college-basketball-programs-1506431065
Bribery, Kickbacks Alleged at Top NCAA College Basketball Programs
Federal charges center on alleged scheme in which agents, financial advisers and apparel executives bribed college coaches to direct players to them
Chuck Person is a basketball coach with Auburn University. PHOTO: ICON SPORTSWIRE/ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Rebecca Davis O’Brien
Updated Sept. 26, 2017 10:45 a.m. ET
Federal authorities brought fraud charges against coaches at some of the nation’s premier college-basketball programs, including the University of Arizona and the University of Southern California, following a probe of alleged corruption in college sports.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office unsealed three separate criminal complaints Tuesday, alleging schemes in which agents, financial advisers and apparel executives bribed college coaches to direct players to them.
Among those charged were an executive from Adidas, a financial adviser and a sports agent. Chuck Person, a former star with the National Basketball Association who works as an associate coach for the men’s basketball team at Auburn, his alma mater, was charged with accepting tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for steering student-athletes to a financial adviser.
In one alleged scheme, Emanuel Richardson, an assistant coach at the University of Arizona, Anthony Bland, a coach at the University of Southern California, and Lamont Evans, an associate coach at Oklahoma State University, were charged with accepting cash bribes from a sports agent and a financial adviser.
Mr. Evans, until March, coached at the University of South Carolina, and the charges stem from his work there.
None of schools allegedly involved immediately returned requests for comment.
In another alleged scheme, James “Jim” Gatto—identified in the complaint as a basketball marketing executive at a global athletic company—worked with another sports-marketing executive to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mr. Gatto’s employer to high-school basketball players and/or their families in exchange for the players’ commitment to play for NCAA schools sponsored by the company.
Jim Gatto is the director of basketball global sports marketing at Adidas, according to his LinkedIn profile. “Today, we became aware that federal investigators arrested an Adidas employee,” said an Adidas spokesman. ”We are learning more about the situation. We’re unaware of any misconduct and will fully cooperate with authorities to understand more.”
Mr. Gatto is accused of getting $100,000 to a player so that he would attend a university that has an apparel contract with Adidas.
Bribery, Kickbacks Alleged at Top NCAA College Basketball Programs
Federal charges center on alleged scheme in which agents, financial advisers and apparel executives bribed college coaches to direct players to them
Chuck Person is a basketball coach with Auburn University. PHOTO: ICON SPORTSWIRE/ASSOCIATED PRESS
By Rebecca Davis O’Brien
Updated Sept. 26, 2017 10:45 a.m. ET
Federal authorities brought fraud charges against coaches at some of the nation’s premier college-basketball programs, including the University of Arizona and the University of Southern California, following a probe of alleged corruption in college sports.
Prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office unsealed three separate criminal complaints Tuesday, alleging schemes in which agents, financial advisers and apparel executives bribed college coaches to direct players to them.
Among those charged were an executive from Adidas, a financial adviser and a sports agent. Chuck Person, a former star with the National Basketball Association who works as an associate coach for the men’s basketball team at Auburn, his alma mater, was charged with accepting tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for steering student-athletes to a financial adviser.
In one alleged scheme, Emanuel Richardson, an assistant coach at the University of Arizona, Anthony Bland, a coach at the University of Southern California, and Lamont Evans, an associate coach at Oklahoma State University, were charged with accepting cash bribes from a sports agent and a financial adviser.
Mr. Evans, until March, coached at the University of South Carolina, and the charges stem from his work there.
None of schools allegedly involved immediately returned requests for comment.
In another alleged scheme, James “Jim” Gatto—identified in the complaint as a basketball marketing executive at a global athletic company—worked with another sports-marketing executive to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mr. Gatto’s employer to high-school basketball players and/or their families in exchange for the players’ commitment to play for NCAA schools sponsored by the company.
Jim Gatto is the director of basketball global sports marketing at Adidas, according to his LinkedIn profile. “Today, we became aware that federal investigators arrested an Adidas employee,” said an Adidas spokesman. ”We are learning more about the situation. We’re unaware of any misconduct and will fully cooperate with authorities to understand more.”
Mr. Gatto is accused of getting $100,000 to a player so that he would attend a university that has an apparel contract with Adidas.
