Senate probe helped lead to Penny indictment
The felony indictment returned against former USA Gymnastics president
Steve Penny, who was arrested Wednesday on charges of tampering with evidence, was based in part on testimony offered last June before a Senate committee investigating the Larry Nassar case, Walker County District Attorney David Weeks said Thursday.
Penny, 54, is expected to be extradited from Gatlinburg, Tenn., where he was arrested while on vacation with his family, to Huntsville and face arraignment Oct. 29. Tampering with evidence is a third-degree felony under Texas law, punishable of two to 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both.
Weeks said Penny was indicted by the same grand jury that earlier indicted Nassar, the disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor who is serving the equivalent of a life prison term for sexual abuse and possession of child pornography, and longtime USA Gymnastics athletic trainer Debra Van Horn.
The indictment was returned Sept 28, the final day of the grand jury’s term, and any additional evidence in the case involving alleged abuse of female gymnasts at the Karolyi Ranch, located between Huntsville and New Waverly in the Sam Houston National Forest, will be presented to another grand jury, Weeks said.
Weeks said earlier this year that Penny, who resigned from USA Gymnastics in March 2017, was “not forthcoming” when questioned by Texas Rangers and Walker County investigators concerning Nassar. Weeks said investigators moved forward with an indictment against Penny after hearing testimony before a Senate committee at a June 5 hearing regarding the Nssar case.
One key element of the June hearing was testimony by former USA Gymnastics executive Rhonda
Faehn, who said she was told that Penny had ordered documents to be sent from the Karolyi Ranch, the longtime national women’s training center, to the USA Gymnastics offices in Indianapolis.
“The testimony was that Penny had ordered an employee to bring back paperwork from the Karolyi Ranch, and her testimony was that she brought back at least a suitcase and two big boxes,” Weeks said. “We have not been able to locate those documents.”
The Indianapolis Star reported that the documents were removed in early November 2016 after Texas Rangers visited the ranch but were turned away because they did not have a search warrant. Sources told the newspaper that the Rangers were invited back later in the day, but only after Penny had called the ranch and ordered documents to be removed.
MOTOR SPORTS Alonso mulling another Indy try
Fernando Alonso hinted that he could return to race the Indianapolis 500 again in 2019 after he retires from Formula One.
The McLaren driver raced at Indianapolis in 2017. He led 27 laps and was in contention to win until his engine failed in an appearance that made a splash with race fans. He skipped the race this year to be part of the winning team at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The two-time Formula One champion, who will compete in Sunday’s U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, said racing at Indianapolis remained an “attractive” idea but said he is not ready to reveal his 2019 plans yet.
GOLF 68 puts Reavie in lead at CJ Cup
Chez Reavie overcame cool, windy conditions to shoot a 4-under-par 68 and take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in Jeju Island, South Korea.
Danny Willett and Si Woo Kim each shot 69, while the large group at 70 and tied for fourth included Ian Poulter, Nick Watney and Michael Kim. In other news: • Ariya Jutanugarn shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai tournament.
HOCKEY Murray, Penguins end Leafs’ streak
Matt Murray made 38 saves for his first shutout of the season, and visiting Pittsburgh snapped Toronto’s winning streak at five games with a 3-0 victory.
Evgeni Malkin had two goals and an assist, scoring early and adding an emptynet goal. Kris Letang also had an empty-netter, and
Sidney Crosby picked up an assist to tie Darryl
Sittler for 60th on the NHL's career points list with 1,221.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Baylor-Tech back on campus
The Baylor-Texas Tech series will move back to campus sites in 2019.
The Red Raiders will play the Bears at Waco on Oct. 12 next season — the first time the two schools have met on campus since 2008. The two schools have played in the DallasFort Worth Metroplex, primarily at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, since 2009.
A Tech official said the Red Raiders and Bears will play home and home in 2019 and 2020, after which the game’s location will be re-evaluated by the schools
and the Big 12. In other news:
• K.J. Costello threw for 231 yards and a touchdown, and Stanford remained in the thick of the Pac-12 North Division race with a 20-13 victory over Arizona State at Tempe.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL TSU men, women picked second
Even with a first-year coach, only three returning players and nine newcomers, Texas Southern is projected to contend for the Southwestern Athletic conference basketball championship this season. Coach Johnny Jones’
Tigers are picked to finish second in the league’s annual preseason league poll.
Grambling State was the top choice in the men’s and women’s poll.
TSU is coming off a opening-round victory in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Under coach Mike
Davis, TSU won four of the last five SWAC titles.
Prairie View A&M was picked fourth in the men’s poll.
The TSU women, with 11 newcomers, also are picked to finish second, and Prairie View A&M was selected to finish third in the balloting.