Chuck Person, Former Division I Men’s Basketball Coach, Pleads Guilty To Bribery In Manhattan Federal Court

Person, a Former Auburn University Men’s Basketball Coach, Pleaded Guilty to Accepting Cash Bribes in Return for Steering College Players on His Team to a Financial Adviser and Business Manager

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that CHUCK CONNORS PERSON, a former men’s basketball coach at Auburn University (“Auburn”), pled guilty in Manhattan federal court today to receiving approximately $91,500 in cash bribes from athlete advisers in exchange for using his influence over Auburn basketball players to retain the services of the advisers paying the bribes.  PERSON pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska.   

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As he has now admitted, Chuck Person abused his position as a coach and mentor to student-athletes in exchange for personal gain.  In taking tens of thousands of dollars in cash bribes, Person not only placed personal financial gain above his obligations to his employer and the student-athletes he coached, but he broke the law.”

 According to the Complaint, the Indictment, statements made in court and publicly available documents:

Over the course of a year, PERSON, a former men’s basketball coach at Auburn University until shortly after his arrest, agreed to accept cash bribes in return for agreeing to exert his influence over student-athletes on the Division I men’s basketball team he coached to retain the services of the bribe-payers, including once the student-athletes entered the National Basketball Association (“NBA”).  

Beginning in 2016, and continuing into September 2017, when PERSON was arrested, PERSON received approximately $91,500 in cash bribes from a financial adviser and business manager, who, unbeknownst to PERSON, was providing information to law enforcement (“CW-1”).  In exchange for the cash bribes, PERSON agreed to exert his influence over certain student-athletes PERSON coached at Auburn University to retain the services of CW-1 once those players entered the NBA.  The bribe payments are alleged to have been initially arranged by a co-conspirator who had a preexisting relationship with PERSON and operated a clothing store that specialized in making bespoke suits for professional athletes. 

Over the course of the scheme, and in exchange for the cash bribes described above, PERSON did, in fact, arrange multiple meetings between CW-1 and Auburn players and/or their family members.  In those meetings, PERSON falsely touted CW-1’s qualifications as a financial adviser and business manager without disclosing that PERSON was, in fact, being bribed to recommend CW-1.  In one recorded meeting, PERSON stressed to an Auburn University player the importance of keeping their relationship with CW-1 a secret.  Person stated, “most important part is that you  . . . don’t say nothing to anybody . . . don’t share with your sisters, don’t share with any of the teammates, that’s very important cause this is a violation . . . of rules, but this is how the NBA players get it done, they get early relationships, and they form partnerships.”   PERSON later told that player that CW-1 would purchase him a separate cell phone over which they could communicate so as to conceal the nature of the scheme.  

PERSON, 54, of Auburn, Alabama, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.  As a condition of his plea, PERSON agreed to forfeit $91,500.  The charge carries a maximum term of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.  Sentencing is scheduled for July 9th, 2019, before Judge Preska.

Mr. Berman praised the work of the FBI and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Anthony Bland, Former Division I Men’s Basketball Coach, Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Bribery

Bland, a Former University of Southern California Men’s Basketball Coach, Pled Guilty to Accepting a Cash Bribe in Return for Steering College Players on His Team to Corrupt Financial Advisers

  Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that ANTHONY BLAND, a/k/a “Tony,” a former men’s basketball coach at the University of Southern California (“USC”), pled guilty in Manhattan federal court to taking a cash bribe from athlete advisers in exchange for using his influence over USC college basketball players to retain the services of the advisers paying the bribes.  BLAND pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos.  Munish Sood, a financial adviser, previously pled guilty, pursuant to a cooperation agreement with the Government, in connection with this scheme.  

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said:  “As he admitted in court, Tony Bland, a former USC men’s basketball coach, abused his position as a mentor and coach to student-athletes and aspiring professionals.  He treated his players not as young men to counsel and guide, but as opportunities to enrich himself.  Now Tony Bland awaits sentencing for his crime.”

 According to the Complaint, the Indictment, statements made in court, and publicly available documents[1]: 

BLAND, a former men’s basketball coach at USC, agreed to accept a cash bribe in connection with agreeing to exert his influence over student-athletes on USC’s Division I men’s basketball team to retain the services of the bribe-payers, including once the student-athletes entered the National Basketball Association.   BLAND’s co-defendants, with BLAND’s knowledge and approval, also funneled additional money to USC student-athletes and their families in connection with efforts to sign these potential professional athletes.

Beginning in or around July 2017, and continuing into September 2017, when BLAND was arrested, BLAND’s co-defendants paid and/or facilitated the payment of a cash bribe to BLAND in exchange for BLAND’s agreement to exert his influence over certain student-athletes BLAND coached at USC to retain BLAND’s co-defendant’s business management and/or financial advisory services once those players entered the NBA.  In particular, as BLAND told Christian Dawkins and Munish Sood, during a recorded meeting, in return for their bribe payment, “I definitely can get the players. . . .  And I can definitely mold the players and put them in the lap of you guys.”  In addition, and as part of the scheme, with BLAND’s knowledge and approval, Dawkins and Sood paid or facilitated the payment of an additional $9,000 directly to the families of two student-athletes at USC.  In return, BLAND facilitated a meeting between Dawkins and Sood and a relative of a different player attending USC for the purpose of pressuring that player to retain the financial services of Dawkins and Sood.

BLAND, 38, of Los Angeles, California, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.  As a condition of his plea, BLAND agreed to forfeit $4,100.  The charge carries a maximum term of five years in prison.  The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.  Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, 2019, before Judge Ramos.

Mr. Berman praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

The charges contained in the Indictment against Christian Dawkins, Merl Code, Emmanuel Richardson, and Lamont Evans are merely accusations, and Dawkins, Code, Richardson, and Evans are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.  Trial is scheduled to commence against the other defendants on April 22, 2019.

Code and Dawkins are scheduled to be sentenced on March 5, 2019, by U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in United States v. Gatto, No. 17 Cr. 686 (LAK), based on their conviction for participating in a separate wire fraud scheme to make payments to the families of men’s basketball student-athletes in connection with their decisions to matriculate in Adidas-sponsored Division I schools.

[1] The descriptions set forth below of conduct by BLAND’s co-defendants constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation with respect to BLAND’s co-defendants, including Christian Dawkins, Merl Code, Emmanuel Richardson, and Lamont Evans.