NEW YORK — Three men received prison sentences Tuesday in the widespread college basketball recruiting scandal that has tainted two dozen schools.
Former Adidas executive James Gatto, business manager Christian Dawkins and amateur league director Merl Code were convicted in October of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for funneling illegal payments to families of recruits to Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina State.
Gatto got nine months in prison; Dawkins and Code got six months each. Prosecutors say coaches teamed up with Gatto and others to trade hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to influence star athletes' choice of schools, shoe sponsors, agents and even tailors.
NCAA President Mark Emmert has said an independent enforcement body to adjudicate major infractions cases could be in place by August.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said he sympathized with the argument that the defendants were being punished when others who did similar things were not being prosecuted. Nonetheless, he said, "These defendants all knew what they were doing was wrong."
The judge added that he wanted to send "a great big warning light to the basketball world."
"I deeply regret my actions," Gatto said in a shaky voice.
Dawkins referenced "social dysfunction" in college basketball and said his actions were "clouded" by a "system that takes advantage of kids."
"I realize now more than ever none of this was worth it," Dawkins said. Code said he also regretted his actions but added, "Some things really got to be changed about college basketball."
Dawkins' attorney notified Arizona Wildcats men's basketball coach Sean Miller and LSU coach Will Wade last month that he intends to subpoena them to testify in the federal trial regarding corruption in college basketball beginning April 22.
Former UA assistant coach Emanuel "Book" Richardson pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge in January following an FBI investigation that exposed corruption in college basketball recruiting. The plea came two weeks after Richardson reportedly reached a plea agreement with prosecutors.
