UM

UM scandal

NCAA investigation of University of Miami is flagged

 

Potential violations that came from an attorney representing convicted Ponzi-schemer Nevin Shapiro likely won’t be used by the NCAA.

 

From left, Nevin Shapiro, Sean Allen and UM assistant basketball coach Jake Morton party in 2009.
From left, Nevin Shapiro, Sean Allen and UM assistant basketball coach Jake Morton party in 2009.
Courtesy of Maria Elena Perez
WEB VOTE How do you think the NCAA's investigation of the UM program will eventually conclude?

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• Allen, who worked for Axcess, said he brought UM players to Shapiro on behalf of Axcess, including Gooden, Hester and Kyle Wright. “I’m sure I’m missing someone. It was more bringing them around Nevin, and he was the one that would talk to them about that sort of stuff.”

• Allen told Perez that Shapiro would give money to the winners of bowling events at Lucky Strikes on Miami Beach, and UM players participated in those tournaments.

• Asked if he ever took players to Shapiro’s suite, Allen said: “Yes, one time that I remember: Jeffrey Godfrey and I believe Teddy Bridgewater was with him.” Both were high school players at the time, and neither attended UM.

“Miami was never serious about [Godfrey],” Allen said. “Jeff and I were at Nevin’s house one time, and I remember Nevin giving him a pair of old white used sneakers. I want to say Nevin gave me $100 or something and said, ‘Go out to eat.”

• Allen said he took Bridgewater to meet with UM coach Al Golden soon after Golden took the job.

• Allen said he “can say with certainty that Nevin paid” for meals and a strip club outing with basketball coach Frank Haith and assistant Jake Morton.

• Perez repeatedly pressed Allen after he said he had no recollection of giving or witnessing Shapiro giving Morton $10,000, money that Shapiro claimed was ultimately to be forwarded to a family member of basketball player DeQuan Jones.

“I don’t want to trick you,” Perez said at one point. “I just want to understand what you’re saying.” Allen said: “I don’t remember doing it…. Possible it could have happened. I just really don’t remember.”

• Allen told Perez that Shapiro “had me take [former UM quarterback] Robert Marve to look at Escalades; Robert was paying for it.” He also said he saw former UM defensive back Randy Phillips at Shapiro’s home “multiple times.”

The deposition with Huyghue did not produce any significant incriminating information against Miami, according to a Herald analysis of the document.

Gary Freedman, a partner in the firm that is serving as the bankruptcy trustee in the case, said he was not aware that Perez was allegedly being paid by the NCAA until the news broke Wednesday.

“That was a shock to me,” he said. “I assumed anything she was doing was being done for the benefit of the client. [Allen and Huyghue] could have objected to the subpoena. I don’t believe they did.”

Freedman said the depositions with Allen and Huyghue were the only ones Perez conducted and “we have not used the transcripts to try to recover money. We haven’t found the need.” The trustee has recouped $35 million in the case, Freedman said.

Though Freedman and partner Joel Tabas were aware the depositions were conducted, Freedman said Perez did not need their permission to do them.

He said in the Southern District of Florida, attorneys can issue subpoenas in bankruptcy court without the court’s permission. “Maria was representing Nevin,” Freedman said. “She wasn’t representing us.”

Asked if what Perez did was wrong, Freedman said: “I don’t know. I don’t know the agreement she had with her client or the NCAA. It wasn’t on my radar screen. As far as getting mad, it doesn’t affect anything we’re doing. [But] it could be a distraction.”

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