Bribery Charges Brought Against NCAA Coaches
Federal prosecutors announced charges of fraud and corruption against four college basketball coaches on Tuesday. Auburn assistant Chuck Person, Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans, Arizona assistant Emanuel Richardson and USC assistant Tony Bland were among 10 people charged in New York federal court. James Gatto, Adidas Basketball's head of global marketing, was also targeted in the probe, as well as financial advisors and managers. "Today, we became aware that federal investigators arrested an Adidas employee. We are learning more about the situation. We're unaware of any misconduct and will fully cooperate with authorities to understand more," Adidas said in a statement. The U.S. attorney general has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday at noon ET. The probe has revealed instances of bribes paid to assistant and associate basketball coaches to show influence over student athletes, according to court documents filed Monday. Court papers show the FBI has been investigating the criminal influence of money on charges and student athletes affiliated with the NCAA since 2015.
