In a decisive victory for federal prosecutors and a frightening warning to those involved in the payment of college recruits, a New York jury has convicted Adidas director of global marketing James Gatto, Adidas consultant basketball organizer Merl Code and client recruiter (a.k.a. runner) Christian Dawkins of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan will sentence the defendants on March 5, 2019. While a pre-sentencing report will influence Judge Kaplan in determining appropriate prison sentences, it’s expected that the three men will likely be sentenced to somewhere between two to five years in prison.
Why the Prosecution Won in the College Hoops Corruption Trial and What's Next
