Federal prosecutors in N.Y. have "added additional criminal counts" to the indictment of former Adidas exec JAMES GATTO, "alleging for the first time that he conspired to provide cash payments to the families of former basketball players at Kansas and N.C. State." The superseding indictment also alleges that Adidas consultant MERL CODE and CHRISTIAN DAWKINS, a runner for former NBA agent ANDY MILLER, "conspired with Gatto to commit wire fraud and pay $100,000" to the father of Louisville recruit BRIAN BOWEN (ESPN.com, 4/10). The indictment "expands the scope of the charged wire fraud conspiracy to include alleged payments to the families of six players in connection with the students’ decisions to attend" Louisville, Miami, Kansas and N.C. State -- all "sponsored by Adidas" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 4/11). KU coach BILL SELF said, "I did not see anywhere nor do I believe that we were thought of to be anything but a victim" (K.C. STAR, 4/11).
THE RUN AROUND: Six organizers of 5Ks, bike rides and triathlons in Maryland and Wisconsin "filed a petition" to push Forte Interactive into "involuntary bankruptcy" after saying that the company owed them nearly $1.4M. According to the Packers, Cubs, MLB Giants and Brewers, Forte Interactive’s RacePartner.com site "collected entry fees and never turned them over" (PALM BEACH POST, 4/11).
FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Penguins C SIDNEY CROSBY "inscribed photos with personalized messages for each of the survivors" of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Humboldt Broncos involved in the fatal bus crash. Earlier, Crosby and his teammates had "contributed $10,000 to the GoFundMe account established to assist survivors and members of the victims' family." The Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation "donated the same amount" (POST-GAZETTE.com, 4/10).
NAMES: PRESIDENT TRUMP yesterday feted the Alabama football team's CFP Championship during their visit to the White House (AP, 4/10). Reading mostly from notes, Trump "went down a list of players who had a big part in the title game win and season that preceded it" (AL.com, 4/10)....SHAQUILLE O'NEAL is opening a $79M, 22-story apartment complex -- "colloquially called 'Shaq Towers'" -- in Newark. The complex will "hover over the city's downtown as its first high-rise in more than 50 years" (NJ.com, 4/10)....Thanks to a gift from alum BILL MCKNIGHT, new video boards will be "installed at the basketball and hockey venues" at Niagara Univ. (BUFFALONEWS.com, 4/10)....The Nashville police honored Predators D P.K. SUBBAN by "presenting him with the Metro Nashville Police Department Community Service Award" (TENNESSEAN.com, 4/10)....Patriots Owner ROBERT KRAFT and Fanatics Founder & CEO MICHAEL RUBIN "reportedly visited" rapper MEEK MILL in prison in Chester, Pa. (BOSTONGLOBE.com, 4/11)....Former NFLers ZACH STRIEF and STEVE GLEASON are "set to be teammates once again." Gleason tweeted that he and the Port Orleans Brewery, which is co-owned by Strief, are "crafting a Gleason Beer" (NOLA.com, 4/10)....U.S. figure skater NATHAN CHEN and golfer TONY FINAU attended Warriors-Jazz last night at Vivint Smart Home Arena (SLTRIB.com, 4/11).
