Iowa State athletes may avoid charges in sports betting probe because agents were way too thirsty

The Iowa State gambling probe might have finally reached a conclusion last Friday after a Story County prosecutor filed a motion to dismiss charges against the four athletes still under scrutiny.

The dismissal came after defense attorneys for the athletes presented an email that showed the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation may have obtained its evidence for the charges unconstitutionally. The motion may ultimately end what Iowa State wrestling coach Kevin Dresser called a witch hunt last May after the school self-reported the violations. It validates his opinion by demonstrating the unreasonable lengths investigators went to take down college students who were already likely to face discipline from the NCAA.

In the Jan. 26 email put forth, bet-tracking software manufacturer GeoComply told the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission it was disabling the DCI’s account because criminal investigators “may have exceeded the intended and outlined scope of its … access-and-use privileges.” Though GeoComply failed to respond to the prosecutor’s inquiries about the email, the defense alleged a special agent for the DCI used the software to identify athletes placing mobile bets at Iowa State athletic facilities.

More glaringly, the DCI obtained information from GeoComply without a warrant to do so, according to the agent’s alleged testimony in an unreleased deposition. Therefore, a motion to suppress was filed earlier in the week. Additionally, attorneys told a judge that agents lied to athletes by telling them they weren’t targets in a criminal investigation.

All combined, the case paints a picture of agents gung-ho to make an example out of what started as criminal charges against 24 athletes and student managers at Iowa State and the University of Iowa for underage gambling, tampering with records and identity theft. Most of the students had already pleaded guilty, but Friday’s motion will potentially clear former ISU football players Jirehl Brock, Isaiah Lee and Eyioma Uwazurike, and wrestler Paniro Johnson.

Though each obviously made a mistake, charges were always unnecessary. Especially considering no match-fixing was found and none of the players were active in their most recent seasons. Uwazurike, a 2022 draft pick of the Denver Broncos, was suspended all of 2023 by the NFL for betting. Johnson hasn’t wrestled with Iowa State due to suspension, and Brock and Lee also faced NCAA sanctions if they hadn’t stepped away from football themselves.

That should have been punishment enough for each. Investigators’ pursuit of more discipline was overzealous, and that’s why they failed.