A group of former Iowa State athletes accused of illegal sports gambling saw their charges dropped after revelations surfaced suggesting potential misconduct in the investigation process.
Former football players Eyioma Uwazurike, Jirehl Brock, and Isaiah Lee, along with former wrestler Paniro Johnson, had their charges dismissed, as reported by the Des Moines Register.
The defense attorneys recently brought forth an email from GeoComply, a software company overseeing the legality of betting app usage, to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission. The email raised concerns about the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) possibly misusing the tool during their inquiry.
Earlier accusations had pointed to DCI Special Agent Brian Sanger allegedly monitoring athletes’ bets within university facilities without proper authorization.
Assistant Story County attorney Benjamin Matchan stated in a motion to drop the charges on Friday, “The State no longer believes further prosecution in this matter is in the interests of justice.”
Furthermore, defense attorneys contended that DCI agents misled student-athletes, falsely informing them of being subjects of a criminal investigation to extract self-incriminating statements.
In January, the DCI defended its tactics, asserting, “The evidence was obtained in a constitutionally permissible manner.”
State Senator Janet Petersen expressed concern over potential privacy violations, stating, “I have deep concerns about our Iowans’ right to privacy.”
She added, “I think all Iowans should be concerned about what is being done to take away potentially the right to privacy of our students in their dormitories. And I think we need to be watching this case closely.”
