It is college football season, and appropriately the most notable news in an otherwise slow Federal criminal news day appears to be that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has interviewed John Bond, a former quarterback for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, regarding Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, according to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
Bond told Mississippi State officials in January that a former teammate had asked him for $180,000 in order to secure Newton's commitment to the Bulldogs. The teammate was subsequently revealed to be Kenny Rogers, another former player for the Bulldogs and owner of a company called Elite Football Preparation, which holds camps in Alabama, Chicago and Mississippi, and matches football prospects with colleges. Rogers, in turn, has publicly stated that he met with Newton's father, Cecil Newton, as well as assistant coaches for MSU, on November 27, 2009, in Starkville, Mississippi, and that Newton demanded between $100,000 and $180,000 in order to ensure that his son signed with the Bulldogs.
Newton originally signed a letter of intent with the University of Florida, where he spent the 2007-2008 season as a back-up quarterback to Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. He subsequently transferred to Blinn College in Texas, where he led the Blinn Buccaneers to the NJCAA National Championship before signing with Auburn. According to ESPN, Cecil Newton told Rogers at the meeting that his son's transfer to Auburn was not going to be "free." Rogers was referred to Mississippi State booster and former Bulldogs offensive lineman Bill Bell. Bell confirmed to ESPN that Rogers did contact him to ask for money in exchange for Newton signing with Mississippi State. Rogers has stated that he doesn't know if Cam Newton knew about his father's demand for money. However, ESPN reported that recruiting sources for Mississippi State had disclosed that they had had telephone conversations with Cam Newton, as well as his father, that Newton's college choice would be based on a pay-for-play plan.
The allegations are further not limited to Newton's dealings with Mississippi State. One recruiter has reported that Cam Newton telephoned him after committing to Auburn and informed him that he had chosen Auburn over Mississippi State because "the money was too much."
Mississippi State compliance officials reported the allegations to Southeastern Conference compliance officials in January. The NCAA and the FBI are both conducting investigations into these allegations. The news has cast a shadow over Auburn's so-far undefeated season, and Newton himself, the current leading contender for the Heisman Trophy. Newton's reputation was already previously marred by charges of burglary, larceny and obstruction relating to an alleged stolen laptop while he was at the University of Florida.
The Federal investigation could result in criminal proceedings for conspiracy, fraud, bribery and other offenses. In a case which college football fans will have some familiarity with, U.S. v. Young, NO. 03-20400 BV, (W.D.Tenn. 2004), Tennessee businessman and University of Alabama booster Logan Young was indicted for structuring, in violation of 31 U.S.C. § 5324; Travel Act violations under 18 U.S.C. § 1952; and conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, for paying $150,000 to Lynn Lang, coach of Trezvant High School in Memphis, to ensure that high school defensive player Albert Means signed a letter of intent with Alabama. Young, Lang and Trezvant Assistant Coach Milton Kirk were subsequently convicted. Alabama was placed on probation for five years by the NCAA as a result of the conduct, and given a two year bowl ban. The University of Kentucky was given a one year bowl ban for a $6,000 payment by a booster to Lang in order to have Means visit the school. Similar misconduct was alleged against the University of Georgia, the University of Arkansas and the University of Memphis, however those schools were not sanctioned. An old Sports Illustrated article has more on the Means scandal.
