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Former UT players sentenced for point-shaving

AP

Former UT players sentenced for point-shaving

Judge agrees with prosecutor’s recommendation of probation, fines

DETROIT — Three former University of Toledo football players involved in a decade-old, point-shaving plot avoided jail time Tuesday in U.S. District Court.

Upon the prosecution’s recommendation, Judge Mark Goldsmith did not believe prison time was necessary for ex-Toledo football players Adam Cuomo, Harvey “Scooter” McDougle, Jr., or Quinton Broussard and sentenced all three to varying terms of probation for a plot to influence UT games.

Judge Goldsmith sentenced Cuomo to three years probation, a $3,000 fine, and 100 hours of community service; McDougle received a two-year probation term with drug testing and a $1,000 fine; and Broussard received a sentence of one year of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 25 hours of community service.

Judge Goldsmith also told McDougle he was forbidden from playing “any game of chance,” whether legal or otherwise.

The architect of the plot, Ghazi Manni, and his gambling partner, Mitchell Karam, will not be sentenced until May 26. Both are incarcerated on unrelated charges.

According to court records, Cuomo, a former UT running back, was the first player who came into contact with Manni.

After being introduced to Manni during the 2003-04 football season, he subsequently recruited Toledo players to give inside information to Manni, who in turn wagered on the games. For the information, Manni paid the players in cash, trips to casinos, groceries, and other items of value.

All three former football players reached plea agreements with prosecutors in 2011. Cuomo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sports bribery in January of that year. McDougle and Broussard both pleaded guilty later that year to conspiracy to influence sporting events by bribery.

Cuomo’s public defender, Richard M. Helfrick, made two points in his remarks on Tuesday: first, that Cuomo had cooperated with federal investigators from the beginning; and second, that Cuomo was “the poster boy for post-offense rehabilitation.”

Lynn Helland, chief of the special prosecution unit for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, agreed with Mr. Helfrick, acknowledging that Cuomo provided federal investigators with significant assistance.

“He went well beyond what is customarily accepted,” Mr. Helland said to Judge Goldsmith.

Cuomo expressed regret for the entire episode in an interview with The Blade. He apologized to the university and said he blamed himself for bringing other people into the plot.

“I’d like to say sorry to all of them,” Cuomo said. “I think about it every day. I felt very responsible for the whole thing. If I had a chance, I'd like to speak with all of them.

“I spoke to two of them, and it was good to apologize. This has been a burden for too long.”

Harvey Bruner, McDougle’s lawyer, noted his client was 19 when the plot began, saying “he made a very bad choice when he was a very young man.”

Judge Goldsmith said McDougle “clearly was one of the lower-level participants” and that he found McDougle’s criminal behavior “aberrational.”

Broussard, who in 2011 admitted to purposely fumbling in the 2005 GMAC Bowl for $500 to affect the outcome of the game, declined to comment outside of the courtroom.

Sanford Plotkin, counsel for Broussard, asked the court for no probation, something he said he had never done in 29 years of practicing law. Through becoming acquainted with Broussard, Mr. Plotkin said his client’s behavior in the betting scheme was “totally contrary to his upbringing in Texas” and to his subsequent behavior after being indicted in 2009.

“To speak frankly,” Mr. Plotkin said, “I don’t think he needs more supervision.”

The initial charge of conspiracy to influence sporting contests through bribery carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a $250,000 fine.

Cuomo faced 24-30 months behind bars through his plea agreement, while Broussard and McDougle each faced up to six months in jail after striking a deal with prosecutors.

Mr. Helland recommended no jail time for all three former players, all of whom are employed fathers in their 30s, and Judge Goldsmith agreed with the assessment.

McDougle now works as a construction worker in Cleveland. Cuomo is self-employed as a personal trainer in Hamilton, Ont., while Broussard holds two jobs in his home state of Texas.

Two former UT basketball players, Sammy Villegas and Anton Currie, also avoided jail time last week at Judge Goldsmith’s discretion.

The only remaining former players in the plot, ex-Rockets basketball players Keith Triplett and Kashif Payne, face sentencing April 7. Both pleaded guilty in December and face up to six months in jail.

Contact Nicholas Piotrowicz at: npiotrowicz@theblade.com, 724-6110, or on Twitter @NickPiotrowicz

First Published April 1, 2015, 4:00 a.m.

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