Chuck Person Saga (Threads Merged)

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

Seems like we're certainly about to eat a notice of allegations 

[GwillMac6 20,670]

 

[GwillMac6 20,670]

ByBRANDON MARCELLO 63 minutes ago

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Auburn's men's basketball program expects to receive a notice of allegations from the NCAA and could face more penalties from the organization's committee on infractions, according to a document obtained Wednesday by Auburn Undercover.

Auburn filed a victim impact statement explaining its compliance issues in federal court last week as former assistant coach Chuck Person faced sentencing after pleading guilty to six bribery and fraud charges stemming from a nationwide investigation that also involved the families of two Auburn players. Person received time served and 200 hours of community service at a hearing Wednesday. He was facing up to 30 months in prison.

Auburn University filed a five-page statement to the court July 11, which the Associated Press obtained and an Auburn official later confirmed to be the same document it filed last week in to the federal court.

Auburn's compliance department believes head coach Bruce Pearl and other members of the Auburn basketball program were not aware of Person's scheme. The university believes Person acted alone and on his own. A portion of the victim impact statement follows:

As a result of Person’s misconduct, Auburn expects to receive a formal Notice of Allegations from the NCAA in the coming months. While Auburn believes the NCAA investigation to date has only confirmed that any staff misconduct was isolated to Person – and that his misconduct was committed in a way so as to avoid Auburn’s detection – the University will still have to navigate the enforcement process to an ultimate conclusion, a process that may drag into yet another basketball season. Despite the fact that the NCAA has already imposed what Auburn believes are sufficient penalties for those student-athletes affected by Person’s misbehavior, the possibility exists that Auburn’s athletics department and/or men’s basketball team could face further sanction and penalties from the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions.

Auburn declined further comment when contacted Wednesday by Auburn 

Person received $91,500 in bribes to steer two Auburn basketball players (Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley) to a financial adviser, with hopes of the adviser representing them when they advanced to the professional basketball ranks. Person, a former Auburn and NBA star, was arrested in the fall of 2017 as part of a nationwide FBI investigation into corruption in college athletics.

Former NBA referee Rashan Michel allegedly introduced FBI cooperating witness Marty Blazer to Person in an effort to steer Purifoy and Wiley to sign with financial advisers. Person allegedly funneled money from bribes he received to the players’ families, with that total being $2,000, according to documents Auburn filed in court. Both Purifoy and Wiley sat out the entire 2017-18 season as punishment, and Purifoy sat out an additional nine games during the 2018-19 season. The NCAA initially tried to pin the entire $91,500 Person received on both Purifoy and Wiley, Auburn says in its statement filed in federal court. 

Person allegedly accepted a $50,000 loan from Blazer. He was told, prosecutors say, he did not have to repay the loan if he delivered the Auburn players to the adviser once they turned pro.

Both Purifoy and Wiley are expected to return for their senior seasons in the fall after helping lead the Tigers to their first trip to the Final Four in April.

Person entered a guilty plea on six federal bribery and fraud charges. Michel’s sentencing hearing has not been set. He was initially charged with six felony counts, including wire fraud, soliciting bribes and travel act conspiracy.

Michel is accused of accepting $49,000 in bribes in September of 2016 and 2017. He reached a plea deal May 7.

Meanwhile, an apologetic Person appeared in court Wednesday asking for forgiveness.

"I love Auburn, hope they let me come back," Person said in court Wednesday, according to a New York reporter. Person was arrested when he was an assistant coach on Bruce Pearl's staff. His No. 45 jersey was never removed from the rafters inside Auburn Arena.

Person’s lawyers explained July 2 in documents provided to the court that Person was “financially desperate” when he agreed to participate in a bribery conspiracy to steer athletes to a financial adviser, according to the Associated Press.

Person was paid at least $277,000 annually as the assistant head coach at Auburn during the 2016 calendar year, according to records obtained by Auburn Undercover. Twenty-five percent of his wages at Auburn were garnished by one financial institution, according to the AP.

Person played in the NBA for 14 seasons and was named the league's Rookie of the Year in 1987.

“Chuck recognizes that his failure to manage his money responsibly led him to make the worst decision of his entire life,” the lawyers said, according to the AP. “He grew up poor and suddenly came into millions of dollars without a clue how to manage it. Chuck spent too freely, gave to anyone who asked, made dreadful investment decisions, and turned to high interest loans as his financial circumstances deteriorated.”

The lawyers note Person paid his ex-wife $30,000 per month while he earned $18,000 annually while working as an assistant for the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2000-01 season.

Former Auburn coach Sonny Smith, who coached Person, also penned a letter that was included in the lawyers' submission to the Manhattan judge July 2. Smith called Person his "favorite player ever" in the letter, according to the AP.

Person was one of four assistants implicated by the FBI in the nationwide scandal. Oklahoma State assistant coach Lamont Evants was sentenced to three months in prison and could potentially be deported from the country. Arizona assistant Emanuel Richardson was sentenced to three months in prison. USC assistant Tony Bland and Person were the only coaches to not be sentenced to prison time.

All four assistant coaches were fired from their jobs at their respective schools.

Agent Christian Dawkins, and former Adidas executives Merl Code and James Gatto were found guilty of fraud charges in regards to pay-for-lay schedules at several schools connected to the apparel providers in October. The schools included Kansas, Louisville and N.C. State. Dawkins and Code were sentenced in March to six months in prison and were ordered to pay $28,261 in restitution to Louisville. Gatto received nine months in prison.

All three remain free until facing federal appeals court.

Jurors are currently deliberating in a separate-but-related trial involving Dawkins and Code, and whether they bribed assistant coaches to steer players to Dawkins’ sports agency.

With Person suspended from his duties at Auburn following his arrest in the fall of 2017, the Tigers went on to win the third SEC championship in school history with Purifoy and Wiley, a former 5-star prospect, watching from the bench. Auburn then proceeded to advance to the Final Four a season later, with the Tigers falling 63-62 in a controversial finish against eventual national champion Virginia in the national semifinal in Minneapolis on April 6.

[aubiefifty 16,761]

does it ever end?

[AUBourne 425]

Alabama football coach gives $500 to Clinton-Dix and he missed 2 games. Probably not even a NCAA suspension just Alabama held him until he could get reinstated.  Two Auburn basketball players get $2K combined in cash and get smacked with a full season ban plus some. No penalties for Alabama football. But Auburn expects NCAA Letter. Am I wrong to think these violations were similar in nature? 

[twilli13 600]

Regardless of what comes of this, our rivals will have a field day distorting facts and just generally using this to dig at us every chance they get. The line is going to be, yeah Auburn got to the final 4, but of course they were cheating and paying players. We all know the payments had nothing to do with a recruiting advantage or some other advantage to Auburn. Our rivals will just latch on to any and everything. For those of you saying, it's not a big deal, my guess is you dont live smack dab in the middle of dwags (UGA) country. They are freaking insufferable.

[mustache eagle 2,397]

36 minutes ago, twilli13 said:

Regardless of what comes of this, our rivals will have a field day distorting facts and just generally using this to dig at us every chance they get. The line is going to be, yeah Auburn got to the final 4, but of course they were cheating and paying players. We all know the payments had nothing to do with a recruiting advantage or some other advantage to Auburn. Our rivals will just latch on to any and everything. For those of you saying, it's not a big deal, my guess is you dont live smack dab in the middle of dwags (UGA) country. They are freaking insufferable.

Normally I would agree somewhat, but in this case and with these circumstances - and most importantly with CBP as our coach - I dont think we miss a beat with basketball prospects.  Fans and the scumbag sports media will have a field day with it.  IMO It wont affect the team moving forward.

[AU64 10,122]

On ‎7‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 4:02 PM, gravejd said:

You are missing the point of AU64s argument. Which is he does not and has never liked BP coaching at AU so he will grasp on to any and every thing possible to criticize and cast doubt on the ability of BP to lead the AU bball program. 

Exactly......I don't dislike BP...I dislike that AU hired him while he was still under NCAA sanction....and has brought constant NCAA attention to the school...as if we needed more of it.     BP is a good coach ...look at his results....but AU will be under the microscope as long he is here so AU fans will just have to consider this to be the "acceptable trade-off"  I guess......and therefore, quit crying about how the NCAA hates AU, etc.    AU brought the animus on itself IMO. 

The recent news about CP paying players directly (admitted by AU) seemed to surprise some of the head in the sand fans... .who did not see the obvious signs when the players got very serious penalties compared to what Sexton got at bama over some meal expenses or something.  Not just CP paying families, but also paying players directly.   

BP's not going anywhere 'cause not many schools would take a chance on him.   So,  we should enjoy seeing some winning basketball for a while....but we will also have to live with the constant nagging by the NCAA over our athletic program....JMO

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, AU64 said:

BP's not going anywhere 'cause not many schools would take a chance on him.   So,  we should enjoy seeing some winning basketball for a while....but we will also have to live with the constant nagging by the NCAA over our athletic program....JMO

Will you abandon your crusade if the nagging never materializes into actual sanctions? 

6 minutes ago, AU64 said:

and therefore, quit crying about how the NCAA hates AU

If everyone else will quit crying about that, will you quit crying about Bruce Pearl being our head coach? Is that an arrangement everyone can agree on? It's been working great for me for a long time.

 

[AU64 10,122]

Too bad for CP....guy had obviously been getting bad financial and legal advice for years to get into such bad deals..  

I'm surprised that AU was not aware of his financial issues when the school hired him though it is possible they did know, and gave him the job as a "reward" for his days at AU and to help bail him out of his financial problems.    But a coach with his salary being garnished?   a bad sign and made him vulnerable to corruption which nobody seemed to see as a possible problem.     

[TigerOne 1,140]

3 hours ago, AUBourne said:

Alabama football coach gives $500 to Clinton-Dix and he missed 2 games. Probably not even a NCAA suspension just Alabama held him until he could get reinstated.  Two Auburn basketball players get $2K combined in cash and get smacked with a full season ban plus some. No penalties for Alabama football. But Auburn expects NCAA Letter. Am I wrong to think these violations were similar in nature? 

Forget that, Colin Sexton paid to play on Avery Johnson's watch sits out one game. Paperwork to prove it, hell uat hasn't even tried to hide it.

https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2018/10/alabama_silent_after_collin_se.html

[Mikey 16,578]

Not sure why anyone would quit crying about the NCAA hating Auburn. They take AU down every smidgen of a chance they get and some there are still bitter that they couldn't pin something on us in the Cam Newton fiasco. They'll shoot down this basketball program if they can, and Chuck Person provided them with some ammunition. Whether it's enough ammo remains to be seen.

[AU64 10,122]

13 hours ago, twilli13 said:

Can come back to Auburn IF nothing comes of the NCAA investigation thing.

We have already been hit by the NCAA.....with players sitting out significant parts of seasons and coaches fired or suspended and school reputation being dragged through the mud for more than a year every time he is mentioned in the news. .   

I feel bad for CP over having what should have been a financially secure life go down the toilet....been getting lots of bad advice.  But we already have an NCAA magnet and don't need any more people who are on the "previous offenders" list at the NCAA.

Leave his jersey up as far as I'm concerned....that's part of the school history...but hoping he's not out there on behalf of Auburn in any way.  

[gravejd 3,270]

What is new about this notice? We already knew Wiley and Purifoy got paid by Person. Wiley was suspended for a year, Purifoy for a year and half, and Person was terminated from being an employee at AU. 

If the NCAA tries to hammer AU for something that has already been dealt with then i think its high time AU gets on board with the California schools and ditches the NCAA. 

[AU64 10,122]

43 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Will you abandon your crusade if the nagging never materializes into actual sanctions? 

If everyone else will quit crying about that, will you quit crying about Bruce Pearl being our head coach? Is that an arrangement everyone can agree on? It's been working great for me for a long time.

 

Nah....if BP were a bama….this site would be raking him and the school over the coals about every day......gotta shed those orange and blue glasses and see things as most of world does.       AU just seems to ask for trouble......talking with Freeze and some people seriously trying to hire Briles?    It is like the fan base has a suicide complex about the sports program.    JMO

[WalkingCarpet 1,379]

I'm not sure what they can drop the hammer on us for. We sat the players until they were reinstated by the NCAA, repaid the illegal benefits, and fired the coach in question... a coach who was acting alone. Am I wrong in thinking this is kind of a formality?

[McLoofus 35,182]

36 minutes ago, AU64 said:

Nah....if BP were a bama….this site would be raking him and the school over the coals about every day......gotta shed those orange and blue glasses and see things as most of world does.       AU just seems to ask for trouble......talking with Freeze and some people seriously trying to hire Briles?    It is like the fan base has a suicide complex about the sports program.    JMO

At least it was Baby Briles

[SCTiger2011 1,277]

2 hours ago, twilli13 said:

Regardless of what comes of this, our rivals will have a field day distorting facts and just generally using this to dig at us every chance they get. The line is going to be, yeah Auburn got to the final 4, but of course they were cheating and paying players. We all know the payments had nothing to do with a recruiting advantage or some other advantage to Auburn. Our rivals will just latch on to any and everything. For those of you saying, it's not a big deal, my guess is you dont live smack dab in the middle of dwags (UGA) country. They are freaking insufferable.

I worked in Pensacola on a team of 7 for a couple years after undergrad.  3 UGAs, 2 FSUs (right after 2013 football too), and a sidewalk Bammer.  I blame my postgrad 40 pounds on the alcohol consumption I put myself through to drown out their incessant bashings of all things Auburn no matter what season or the level of success was.  Although it weakened my liver, it thickened my skin that's for sure.

[TigerOne 1,140]

23 minutes ago, WalkingCarpet said:

I'm not sure what they can drop the hammer on us for. We sat the players until they were reinstated by the NCAA, repaid the illegal benefits, and fired the coach in question... a coach who was acting alone. Am I wrong in thinking this is kind of a formality?

you would think. Of all the schools mentioned Auburn appears to be the only one doing anything right as far as I can tell.

[WalkingCarpet 1,379]

46 minutes ago, TigerOne said:

you would think. Of all the schools mentioned Auburn appears to be the only one doing anything right as far as I can tell.

If we learned anything from the Missouri situation it's to never cooperate. They were forthcoming with everything and still got a bowl ban. Ridiculous. 

[Mikey 16,578]

1 hour ago, WalkingCarpet said:

I'm not sure what they can drop the hammer on us for. We sat the players until they were reinstated by the NCAA, repaid the illegal benefits, and fired the coach in question... a coach who was acting alone. Am I wrong in thinking this is kind of a formality?

"Lack of Institutional Control" and it won't be a formality. Maybe we've done enough to escape having to fire Coach Pearl but I wouldn't bet on it. If there's any way the NCAA can skewer us and put the AU basketball program "back where it belongs" they will do it.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

All of you Negative Nellies.  I am a glass half full guy.   Maybe this will help us in recruiting instead of hurting us....  Kids find out we pay players and get to F4.

 

JUST KIDDING!!!

[tigerbrotha12 2,362]

45 minutes ago, Mikey said:

"Lack of Institutional Control" and it won't be a formality. Maybe we've done enough to escape having to fire Coach Pearl but I wouldn't bet on it. If there's any way the NCAA can skewer us and put the AU basketball program "back where it belongs" they will do it.

Doesn't seem to me like that would be a fire-able offense. I just don't get what they would be punishing us for since they've already given Wiley and Purifoy suspensions. If they do, they're absolutely corrupt and unfit to run any organization. I guess they've already proven that, though... 

[AU64 10,122]

2 hours ago, TigerOne said:

you would think. Of all the schools mentioned Auburn appears to be the only one doing anything right as far as I can tell.

Arizona, Louisville, Kansas and USC all discharged coaches or disciplined players.....and JMO but NCAA is not through with some of them yet.  What irritates me is that some of the blue bloods are eyeball deep into mischief and nothing much aimed at them....

[AUBourne 425]

3 hours ago, TigerOne said:

Forget that, Colin Sexton paid to play on Avery Johnson's watch sits out one game. Paperwork to prove it, hell uat hasn't even tried to hide it.

https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2018/10/alabama_silent_after_collin_se.html

This whole giving jobs thing has to be Bamas best recruiting tool. Every single parent that moved to Alabama to be close to their kid is really a pay for play purchase. Sicking. But how does the the NCAA justify Sexton only having to sit one game while the AU kids had to miss a season and more for getting a fraction of what he received. I think Bruce is worth protecting. AU should stop at nothing to get fair play.