The U.S. Justice Department arrested a University of Arizona assistant basketball coach on Tuesday.
Federal officials allege Emanuel “Book” Richardson and assistant coaches at Auburn, Oklahoma State and USC took bribes for connecting players to financial advisers and managers.
“In exchange for bribes ranging from $13,000 to almost $100,000 each, these coaches allegedly pushed particular managers and advisers on to players and their families,” said Joon Kim, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
According to the complaint, Richardson took $20,000 total from meetings in June and July.
In a statement, the UA said it has suspended Richardson and is fully cooperating with federal law enforcement.
“We were appalled to learn of the allegations as they do not reflect the standards we hold ourselves to and require from our colleagues. The University of Arizona has a strong culture of compliance and the expectation is we follow the rules,” the statement said.
Another investigation alleges executives at Adidas worked with the financial advisers to bribe players to play at Adidas-sponsored schools.
