Ex-Caribbean soccer official hit with $79 million judgment
NEW YORK » A former Caribbean soccer official fighting extradition in the FIFA bribery scandal has been ordered to pay $79 million in damages from a related U.S. lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge William Kuntz ordered the default judgment against Jack Warner in the 2017 civil action accusing him of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football. The written ruling was issued in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday after Warner failed to contest the claim.
The soccer association “intends to pursue all available avenues to enforce the judgment in any jurisdiction where CONCACAF has reason to believe Mr. Warner may have assets,” plaintiff lawyer John Kuster said in a statement Wednesday.
Warner, 76, is a defendant in a sprawling criminal investigation that has resulted in convictions of several top soccer officials. He’s out on bail while challenging a U.S. extradition request to Trinidad and Tobago, where he’s denied any wrongdoing.
There was no immediate response Wednesday to an email sent to one of his lawyers.
The suit accused Warner and Chuck Blazer, another soccer official who died after it was filed, of negotiating bribes and kickbacks in connection with lucrative broadcasting rights for tournaments including the confederation’s Gold Cup championship. Allegations in the suit also mirrored criminal charges saying that Warner, while he and Blazer were members of FIFA’s executive committee, took a $10 million payment to influence voting on which country should host the World Cup.
Bucs’ Smith suspended 4 games
Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ryan Smith has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancers.
Smith is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. He will be allowed to return to the team Sept. 30, after Tampa Bay’s Week 4 game at the NFC champion Los Angeles Rams.
“We are disappointed that Ryan will be unavailable for the first four games of the season,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht said in a statement. “We do extensive training and education for our players regarding the league’s polices, but ultimately each individual is responsible for what they put in their bodies.”
Smith is entering his fourth NFL season with the Buccaneers. He was a fourth-round pick in 2016 by Tampa Bay.
Former Predators captain Johnson dies at 48
Former Nashville Predators captain Greg Johnson has died. He was 48.
Tom Laidlaw, his former agent, told USA Today Johnson died Monday at his home in Michigan. No other details were provided.
Johnson also played for Detroit, Pittsburgh and Chicago during his 12 years in the NHL, finishing with 145 goals and 224 assists in 785 games.
Johnson was with Nashville for the franchise’s first season in the league. He spent the last seven years of his career with the Predators.
Johnson was selected by the Flyers in the second round of the 1989 draft. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 1993, scoring for the Red Wings in a 6-4 loss at Dallas.
NCAA charges N.C. State with four men’s hoops violations
RALEIGH, N.C. » The NCAA has charged North Carolina State with four violations, accusing a former assistant coach of providing payments and benefits connected to the recruitment of one-and-done basketball player Dennis Smith Jr.
The school said Wednesday that its notice of allegations was received Tuesday, and now has 90 days to respond.
The notice includes four serious charges, with two that are potential top-level charges. The NCAA alleges that from 2014-17, former assistant Orlando Early provided Smith and his associates approximately $46,700 in impermissible inducements and benefits — including $40,000 that a government witness testified he delivered to Early intended for Smith’s family in 2015.
The NCAA also said former coach Mark Gottfried, now coaching at Cal State Northridge, was “presumed responsible” and “did not demonstrate” that he monitored Early for compliance. It also accuses Gottfried of failing to monitor the program’s pass list, leading to a total 164 impermissible complimentary admissions to games.
The notice indicates the NCAA’s hearing panel could levy show-cause penalties against both Gottfried and Early.
The Wolfpack went 15-17 during Smith’s one season on the team in 2016-17.