Five of the ten men that were arrested two weeks ago as the result of an FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball were arraigned in a courthouse in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday morning and released on $100,000 bond.
Merl Code, an Adidas executive that previously worked for Nike’s grassroots circuit, and three assistant coaches - USC’s Tony Bland, Arizona’s Emmanuel ‘Book’ Richardson and Auburn’s Chuck Person - appeared before Judge Katherine Parker, according to ZagsBlog. Rashan Michel, a clothier from Atlanta, was arraigned separately.
Oklahoma State assistant coach Lamont Evans and another Adidas executive, Jim Gatto, are expected to appear in court on Thursday.
The five men that were arraigned on Tuesday now await a Nov. 9th preliminary hearing, where a trial will be scheduled if it is determined that there is enough evidence.
Gatto and Code are accused of helping to funnel $100,000 to the family of former Louisville freshman Brian Bowen to get the player to attend Louisville. Evans, Bland and Person are alleged to have taken bribes to steer players under their influence to specific financial advisors. Richardson is accused of doing the same, while also allegedly funneling $15,000 to the family of Jahvon Quinerly, a point guard committed to Arizona.
This weekend, Quinerly told reporters at a Team USA training camp in Colorado Springs that his family has hired a lawyer. He did not comment on whether or not his family had received money from Richardson.
