The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Adidas rep free without bail in college hoops scandal
NEW YORK — A federal judge has refused to impose bail for an Adidas representative embroiled in a bribery scandal that’s thrown college basketball into turmoil.
Prosecutors in federal court in Manhattan urged Judge Katherine Parker on Thursday to make James Gatto post $100,000 bond to keep his freedom. The judge instead continued the nobail conditions set at an initial court appearance for Gatto following his arrest last month in Oregon.
Michael Schachter, an attorney for Gatto, argued that prosecutors’ portrayal of his client as a “high-level executive” at Adidas was misleading because it suggested he’s wealthy.
“Nothing can be further from the truth,” Schachter said, adding that his client is a married father of two who makes $139,000 a year as a marketing director.
Lamont Evans, an assistant coach at Oklahoma State who was fired after being charged in the case, was freed on $100,000 bond Thursday after appearing in the same courtroom.
Both men and eight others were charged last month in an alleged scheme to bribe assistant coaches in exchange for steering topflight NBA prospects to a particular agent or financial adviser.
Auburn said it received a
federal grand jury subpoena in the bribery case against basketball associate head coach Chuck Person.
The university confirmed that in a statement Thursday in response to an open records request from The Associated Press. Auburn’s statement said it won’t yet release the documents because they are typically “sent with the understanding that they will be treated confidentially,” including on whether they were received in the first place.
Oklahoma State provided AP and other media outlets with a copy of the subpoena it received in the widespread corruption case, prompting Auburn to acknowledge that it has also gotten one.
Person was suspended without pay after prosecutors said the former NBA player accepted about $91,500 in bribes to steer clients to a Pittsburghbased
financial adviser when they reached the NBA.
Prosecutors accused the 47-year-old Gatto of conspiring with the coaches and others to funnel payments to top basketball prospects and their families to win their commitments to play at colleges sponsored by Adidas and to sign with the sports label once they left. The family of one high school player allegedly was given $100,000 to commit, according to court papers.
The papers didn’t name the school or the recruit. But they contained enough details to identify the college as the University of Louisville and the player as Brian Bowen, a freshman on the Cardinals roster this year. The day after federal authorities announced the arrests, Louisville placed head coach Rick Pitino on administrative leave until the investigation is resolved. Pitino has said he’s shocked by the allegations.