The college basketball world was shaken this morning with the news of several major programs engaging in various forms of corruption and fraud. Among those investigated and subsequently arrested by the FBI on Tuesday morning was Auburn basketball assistant Chuck Person.
As if his day couldn’t get any worse, Auburn has officially suspended him without pay stemming from the charges.
Person has so far been charged with six federal crimes this morning, according to the U.S. District Attorney. He is charged with taking as much as $50,000 worth of bribes in exchange for steering players to a financial advisor, an agent and a suit-designer.
The player suspected to have been swayed by Person’s influence is five-star recruit Austin Wiley.
A statement released by the university was made available by NBC Sports:
“This morning’s news is shocking,” the statement reads. “We are saddened, angry and disappointed. We have suspended Coach Person without pay effective immediately. We are committed to playing by the rules, and that’s what we expect from our coaches. In the meantime, Auburn is working closely with law enforcement, and we will help them in their investigation in any way we can.”
The statement echoes a similar sentiment expressed by USC AD Lynn Swann earlier on Tuesday morning.
The higher-ups appear to have been blindsided by the charges, and investigators claim that there are still a number of others that they are continuing to pursue.
In the press conference to announce the arrests at noon on Tuesday, they urged anyone who engaged in, or is aware of any wrongdoing to speak to authorities immediately.
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