Toledo athlete arrested in point shaving scandal

[whitesoxfan101]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/foot...g.ap/index.html

 

Feds arrest Toledo's McDougle

Player charged in point-shaving/game-fixing probe

Posted: Friday March 30, 2007 9:31PM; Updated: Saturday March 31, 2007 2:00AM

 

DETROIT (AP) -- Federal authorities charged a University of Toledo football player Friday in connection with a point-shaving scheme.

 

Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr. recruited Toledo football and basketball players to participate in the scheme orchestrated by a Sterling Heights man identified only as "Gary," according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court.

 

McDougle was arraigned Friday on charges of participating in a bribery scheme to influence sporting contests, The Detroit News reported on its Web site. He was released on a $10,000 bond and a preliminary hearing was scheduled for April 20.

 

U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia Morgan told McDougle he should not discuss the case with the media or anyone else.

 

The charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon conviction.

 

"Gary" allegedly invited the athletes to gamble and dine at Greektown Casino in Detroit. One player was offered $10,000 to sit out a football game, while others received cash, groceries, merchandise and other gifts, the complaint said.

 

McDougle, a 22-year-old senior from East Cleveland, Ohio, told FBI investigators he received a car, telephone and other items of value from "Gary," but insisted he never changed the way he played to affect the outcome of games.

 

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morris, who is handling the case, wouldn't confirm Friday whether more people would be charged in the case.

 

The complaint gave no indication that players threw any games as part of the scheme, the Detroit Free Press reported.

 

"We will evaluate the allegations in the complaint and will fully comply with federal authorities in their investigation," the university said in a statement issued by spokesman Tobin J. Klinger.

 

The statement said McDougle has been suspended pending the outcome of the case.

 

A message seeking comment was left with a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office on Friday night.

Let me just say first of all, between what my friends in the AD here at NIU (maybe Toledo's biggest rivals) have told me, the results of some of their games and the weird plays involved in already decided Toledo games lately, and the history of the kid involved, I was only mildly surprised at the break of this story last night. In fact, games involving Toledo have been taken off the board the majority of the time the last 2 years at the Vegas casinos because of how suspicious the final numbers in the games had been.

 

However, it potential involves the 2 major sports at that school, and there are at least several other players involved. This story is going to get pretty big, especially since Toledo isn't a chosen safe school and will get killed by the NCAA for this.

 

The 2 most interesting links are first of all, the actual complaint against the player from Toledo, which is pretty damning:

 

http://www.wtol.com/Global/Link.asp?L=235135

 

And 2nd is one from a thread I was given the link to by an NIU AD member over a year ago, one of the reasons this news didn't surprise me. This thread is just as interesting as the charges themself:

 

http://forum.therx.com/showthread.php?t=316210

Edited March 31, 2007 by whitesoxfan101