By Liz Mullen, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal
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| Sean Jones |
An arbitrator has found that NFL player agent
SEAN JONES violated NFLPA regulations, but reduced the union's imposed punishment on Jones from a decertification to a two-year suspension. Arbitrator
ROGER KAPLAN, in a decision on Jones' appeal of the decertification, ruled that Jones will be suspended from representing NFL players until February 26, 2005. The NFLPA disciplinary committee voted on February 26 to immediately decertify Jones, meaning he could not apply to be an agent for at least three years and then would have to be approved by the union. Kaplan agreed that Jones violated agent regulations, including conflict of interest rules, in numerous financial dealings with a former client, Cowboys DE
EBENEZER EKUBAN. Among other things, Kaplan found that Jones involved Ekuban in guaranteeing a $1M real estate loan that defaulted; got Ekuban to purchase certificates of deposit that served as collateral for loans to Jones' business entities; and convinced Ekuban to lend Jones $300,000 that Jones did not fully repay. Kaplan wrote, "At the heart of Jones' misconduct was his 'use of Ekuban's financial strength to further Jones' business interests." Ekuban and Jones were among the witnesses who testified in two days of arbitration hearings in June and July.
