Points-shaving case against Toledo player on hold

[eRichFalcon]

http://tinyurl.com/22agb3

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Federal authorities dropped their points-shaving charge Wednesday against University of Toledo running back Harvey "Scooter" McDougle Jr., citing procedural reasons.

In a motion filed in U.S. District Court by assistant U.S. District Attorney David Morris, authorities said they need more time to continue their investigation.

"[We need to] investigate the full extent of the offense in question and identify all other individuals who should be held criminally responsible for the offenses," the motion said.

McDougle has declined comment on the case. James Burdick, McDougle's Detroit-area attorney, said he was pleased with the news but unsure what it means.

"I don't know if it's temporary or not," Burdick said Wednesday. "It's not enormously significant. It can mean a lot of different things. We'll have to wait and see. There's no way of knowing."

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office told the Toledo Blade that McDougle likely would be indicted at a later date. Dismissing the case now gives the government more time to assemble its case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office had accused McDougle, a 22-year-old senior running back for Toledo, of taking bribes from a gambler in Sterling Heights, Mich., to alter the result of football games and recruiting teammates and members of Toledo's basketball team to do likewise.

McDougle was arraigned March 30 in federal court in Detroit and released on $10,000 bond. He was charged with conspiring to bribe to affect the outcome of a sporting event, and faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He had been scheduled to appear in court Friday.

McDougle was suspended from the team after the initial criminal complaint was filed. The move by federal investigators Wednesday did not alter the university's position.

"His status is unchanged until we have firm details of where things stand," Toledo spokesman Tobin Klinger said.

McDougle remains enrolled at Toledo and is attending classes, university officials said.

According to an FBI affidavit filed in support of its criminal complaint, Toledo athletes allegedly began conspiring with a gambler identified only as "Gary" sometime in fall 2003 and continued the activity through early 2006. "Gary" has since been identified as Ghazi Manni, a 50-year-old Detroit businessman.

According to the affidavit, the FBI stumbled onto the case while conducting electronic surveillance of Gary's phone, beginning in November 2005. Conversations revealed that Gary pegged McDougle to recruit Toledo football and basketball players to influence the final scores of games on which Gary and others placed wagers. In return, according to the affidavit, Gary offered McDougle and other players cash, merchandise and groceries. Additionally, Gary placed wagers with his money on behalf of players and gave them the winnings if they won.

Other than McDougle, no other Toledo athletes were named in the affidavit or charged in the complaint, nor did FBI investigators identify any football or basketball games they believe were altered by athletes connected to McDougle and Gary.

The federal government's criminal complaint against McDougle stunned the Toledo campus and prompted the unversity to shut down access to other football players and bar reporters from spring football practices, which ended Monday.

Burdick said he believes authorities could be using McDougle to implicate other players or gamblers.

"I think that probably that's their strategy," he said. "I know there are a lot bigger fish to fry even if what they say is partly true."

[eRichFalcon]

What do you guys think? It seems to me that the more this gets dragged out, the worse it will probably be for everyone.

[Jacobs4Heisman]

What do you guys think? It seems to me that the more this gets dragged out, the worse it will probably be for everyone.

This make it much more probable that Scooty is just the tip of the iceberg.

[mmisbg]

The phys ed teacher at my school is a UT grad. He and I were talking, and we are wondering just how far the rabbit hole goes.

He and I both thought it was suspicious how Gradkowski had a mysterious concussion that only took him out for one game in 2005.....the Fresno St. game.

There were other games worth looking at as well. For example, the way UT got blown out by Kansas in 2004.

Just have to wonder how long this has been going on, and who all has been involved.

To be honest, I hope this whole thing drops. None of this looks good for the MAC. In the end, that will affect BG as well.

Go Falcons!

[ZiggyZoomba]

James Burdick, McDougle's Detroit-area attorney, said he was pleased with the news but unsure what it means.

Confidence inspiring.... UT Law grad??

[Flipper]

"Well Scooter, my trick knee hurts...that usually means you're in the clear...however, the bunion on my left big toe is aching. That usually points to an indictment and eventual conviction. I'm filing some briefs and getting a tarot reading on Thursday, we should know more then"

[Lord_Byron]

I think it means they're going to give Scooter immunity and have him flip on everyone else involved.

[rocketfootball]

The phys ed teacher at my school is a UT grad. He and I were talking, and we are wondering just how far the rabbit hole goes.

He and I both thought it was suspicious how Gradkowski had a mysterious concussion that only took him out for one game in 2005.....the Fresno St. game.

There were other games worth looking at as well. For example, the way UT got blown out by Kansas in 2004.

Just have to wonder how long this has been going on, and who all has been involved.

To be honest, I hope this whole thing drops. None of this looks good for the MAC. In the end, that will affect BG as well.

Go Falcons!

Sure Gradkowski could have been involved in some way, but that was no mysterious concussion. Media reporters that saw him all have said his eyes were glazed over. When Nick Moore received a concussion against NIU a couple of years ago, doctors told him a normal concussion (not a serious one) takes 10-14 days to recover from so he wouldn't be able to play the next week against BG. He did play against UTEP in the GMAC Bowl though.

Anyway, he played September 17th against Temple when Bruce's concussion happened. He missed the Fresno State game 10 days later, remember that was a lone weekday game so there was alot of time between games. He started practicing again on October 6th, and played against EMU on October 8th. In all he missed 18 days. There is nothing mysterious about that. And in fact the decision to play him against EMU came down to the last day or two and he either was still feeling the effects of the concussion or was rusty from not practicing because he didn't play particularly well in that game.


So yeah, he missed only one game but that was because of the extra time involved. We litterally played one game in almost a 3 week period.

[TG1996]

We litterally played one game in almost a 3 week period.

In the MAC? Never!

[Rightupinthere]

McDougle isn't in the clear, but I really hope it stops at this. The feds have their cross-hairs focused on the Detroit contact. I believe they are trying to trace his gambling as potential fund raising activities for some group who wish to do certain western cultures harm.

I have a sneaky suspicion that there is much more to this than just McDougle and Toledo, however. Sometimes I can't turn the underwriter brain off [insert gaff here].

[Flipper]

Here's my take on the issue. Scooter isn't the target, Gary isn't the target. The folks around and above Gary are the targets. They're using Sccoter to pressure Gary to flip on the folks he's involved with. They're saying "Hey Gary..Scooter gives us enough to fry you...wanna talk"

Making Gary known as a possible target puts pressure on him to testify since his associates are going to assume he's ratting on them anyway....IIRC my mob research correctly, you assume the worst when the cops are taqlking to someone.

[CapitalFalcon]

"Well Scooter, my trick knee hurts...that usually means you're in the clear...however, the bunion on my left big toe is aching. That usually points to an indictment and eventual conviction. I'm filing some briefs and getting a tarot reading on Thursday, we should know more then"

Heh Heh...He said briefs...

[MacGuy]

James Burdick, McDougle's Detroit-area attorney, said he was pleased with the news but unsure what it means.

Confidence inspiring.... UT Law grad??

Not sure I would say that. Many BG grads go to UT for law school.

[rocketfootball]

James Burdick, McDougle's Detroit-area attorney, said he was pleased with the news but unsure what it means.

Confidence inspiring.... UT Law grad??

Not sure I would say that. Many BG grads go to UT for law school.

Toledo does have a very good law school. This past year UT had the highest percentage of graduates pass the Ohio bar exam on the first try of all Ohio universities. Also, the Princeton Journal ranked Toledo's law school the 20th best in the country. Our law school is comparable to the kind of reputation BG's education program has.

[h2oville rocket]

Grant is far too intelligent (remember he started at Miami) to believe that this quote means anything but that the attroney understands there are many options. From what I hear the guy is pretty well known and respected, for an attorney.