PHILADELPHIA—A federal judge has sentenced three men convicted of pay-for-play schemes to steer high profile recruits to Adidas-sponsored college programs to upwards to nine months in prison.

US District Court judge Lewis A. Kaplan sentenced former Adidas executive James Gatto to nine months in federal prison, former Adidas consultant Merl Code to six months and agent runner/aspiring sports business manager Christian Dawkins to six months.  Prosecutors had asked for more time.

In October, a federal jury in Manhattan convicted the three of felony charges of wire fraud and conspiracy after a three-week trial. They were accused of funneling money from Adidas to the families of high-profile recruits to ensure they signed with the shoe company and certain financial planners and business managers once the players turned pro.

The jury agreed with the government theory that, by paying the families of five top recruits amounts ranging from $2,500 to $90,000 in violation of NCAA rules, the men defrauded Louisville, Kansas and North Carolina State. Prosecutors argued the schools would not have awarded scholarships to those recruits if they had known about illicit payments and now face possible NCAA sanctions.

Steve Haney, Dawkins’ attorney, said all three were released on bonds and plan to appeal their convictions. They will remain free until pending the outcome, which could take upwards to a year. Code and Dawkins still face second trials this April in connection with other illicit payments they allegedly arranged.

Assistant US Attorney Edward Diskant said the scheme was in many respects unprecedented in its coordination, and in respect to Gatto in particular, in its respective nature.

Kaplan said he sympathized with the argument that the defendants were being punished when others who did similar things were not being prosecuted. But he added, “These defendants all knew what they were doing was wrong.’’

The judge said he wanted to send “a great big warning light to the basketball world.’’

”I deeply regret my actions,’’ Gatto said.

Dawkins referenced “social dysfunction” in college basketball and said his actions were “clouded by a system that takes advantage of kids.”

“I realize now more than ever none of this was worth it,’’ he said.

Code said he also regretted his actions but said, “Some things really got to be changed about college basketball.’’