Federal investigators look like they are playing hard ball with the college basketball corruption investigation.
According to a report posted by Forbes writer Darren Heitner, federal authorities have expanded their investigation to another shoe company and have subpoenaed records and testimony from Nike employees involved in youth sports.
The FBI is specifically targeting Nike’s Elite Youth Basketball program. The Feds have also raided the offices of ASM sports-management firm, which has already had an agent busted on bribery and fraud charges in an alleged college basketball recruiting scam. It shouldn’t be long before other shoe company spring and summer events at competitors Adidas and Under Armour are targets.
Four prominent Division I assistant coaches and Jim Gatto, a top executive at Adidas were also among the 10 people charged earlier in the week by Manhattan federal prosecutors. Gatto appeared Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim Yoo in Portland. He remained silent and was ordered to surrender his passport and placed under pretrail supervision until his next court date.,
Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon Kim has already told anyone else who is engaged in this conduct to turn themselves in.
Nike hasn’t been heard from yet.
The hits keep coming in this investigation, which grows wider by the day.