As of this morning, four NCAA assistant basketball coaches from Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State and Southern California have been arrested on federal corruption charges, the result of a nearly three-year FBI investigation. Ultimately, these individuals are guilty of attempting to steer athletes to their particular institution, a given financial advisor and/or business manager, or a brand sponsorship via bribery.
In addition, prosecutors in New York have announced charges of fraud and corruption against 10 people, including Auburn's Chuck Person, Oklahoma State's Lamont Evans, Arizona's Emanuel Richardson and USC's Tony Bland. After being charged with bribery conspiracy, solicitation of bribes, honest services fraud conspiracy, honest service fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and Travel Act conspiracy, each of these coaches could endure a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison.
It's not only collegiate staffers at fault here, however. Multiple employees of adidas have also been arrested: James Gatto, director of global sports marketing for adidas, and Merl Code, another company employee.
Former NBA agent Christian Dawkins, financial adviser Munish Sood, president of The League Initiative and program director of adidas-sponsored 1 Family AAU program Jonathan Brad Augustine, and former NBA official Rashan Michel have all been charged as well.
"For the 10 charged men, the madness of college basketball went well beyond the Big Dance in March," said Joon H. Kim, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "Month after month, the defendants exploited the hoop dreams of student-athletes around the country, allegedly treating them as little more than opportunities to enrich themselves through bribery and fraud schemes."
The FBI's investigation began back in 2015, while the NCAA had no knowledge of the probe until this morning. Wiretaps, surveillance footage and cooperating witnesses were pivotal in the arrests.
This may just be the beginning, though. "We have your playbook," said FBI assistant director Bill Sweeney. "Our investigation is ongoing. We are conducting additional interviews as we speak."
For more on the story, follow over to ESPN.
In other sports news, Michael Jordan has finally spoken up regarding Trump and the NFL's "taking a knee."
