Former Arizona men’s basketball assistant coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson plead guilty Tuesday to a bribery charge stemming from his involvement in the federal investigation of corruption in college basketball.
Richardson pleaded guilty to one count of federal funds bribery as part of a plea deal, which he accepted earlier this month, that will dismiss four other charges. The charge carries a sentence of anywhere between 18 to 24 months in prison, with Richardson scheduled for sentencing in U.S. District Court in New York on April 24.
Richardson was arrested on Sept. 26, 2017 after allegedly taking $20,000 in bribes to steer players towards hiring Christian Dawkins and Munish Sood as their manager and financial advisor. The complaint also alleged he provided some of the money to a prospective recruit to come to the UA.
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Richardson was part of a group of four assistant coaches who were arrested for their connection to the investigation. Auburn’s Chuck Person, Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans and USC’s Tony Bland were all also arrested, with Bland pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. He is scheduled to be sentenced April 2, with jail unlikely.
Richardson’s attorney Craig Mordock said on Tuesday that Richardson does not have to cooperate with federal authorities under the terms of the plea agreement.
Richardson was facing a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine. Had he gone to trial, he could have potentially received three to four years behind bars.
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Arizona released a statement upon Richardson’s plea agreement stating “the University of Arizona is aware of media reports and defense counsel statements regarding a potential plea agreement between former men’s basketball assistant coach Book Richardson and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The university will continue to monitor developments and continue its cooperation with the ongoing investigations.”
Head coach Sean Miller is scheduled for his weekly press conference tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., where he is expected to speak on the matter.
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