Brian Bowen II, 20-year-old basketball player, located in the center of the Federal corruption investigation in the circles of recruiting the NCAA has filed a lawsuit against Adidas America Inc, accusing the company of violating the RICO law — the US law on investment obtained from the racketeering of capital.
Easy forward Brian Bowen, who now stands for the Sydney kings of Australia, and previously played for Louisville, filed a lawsuit against Adidas. The lawsuit cites ” exploitation “and the use of collegiate players as”slaves.” A similar lawsuit threatens the American division of Adidas in a ban on sponsoring men’s basketball programs of the first division.
Earlier, Bowen was in the center of a corruption scandal: allegedly his family received 100 thousand dollars from Adidas for agreeing to join Louisville. Bowen was suspended by the school, and also by the rules could not play NCAA in the season 2018/19. After the transfer to South Carolina, he now plays for the Sydney kings of Australia. And since the alleged payments were illegal, they were allegedly laundered using fake purchase orders, invoices and related documents to make them look legitimate. Bowen is not charged with any crime.
The claim of Bowen followed after a guilty verdict the former Executive Director of the Adidas James Gatto, business Manager Christian Dockins and Director of Amateur League Merle Code. They were convicted of fraud, and prosecutors said the three were involved in a conspiracy to bribe Bowen’s family of $ 100,000 in exchange for his commitment to play in Louisville – a College sponsored by Adidas.
Investigators have uncovered corruption schemes since 2015, when representatives of the NCAA made certain decisions after receiving illegal monetary compensation. The investigation revealed numerous cases where advisers bribed coaches so that they affect student-athletes to further their signature of contracts with certain agents after the transition to professional sports. It is reported that the coaches received bribes in the amount of several thousand dollars. At trial, Bowen’s father confessed under oath that he had taken tens of thousands of dollars in exchange for Junior Bowen’s commitment to Louisville.
In the lawsuit, Bowen put forward the demand: “remove the Adidas and all employees, officers, Directors, agents, successors, assignees, merged or acquired predecessors, parent or controlling bodies of subsidiaries and all other persons from participation in the sponsorship of programs of NCAA Division I basketball for men”.
Adidas has already responded to the lawsuit: “we have considered these allegations and believe that they have no basis. As we stated earlier, Adidas is committed to ethical and fair business practices, and we look forward to continuing to work with the NCAA and other stakeholders to improve the environment around College basketball.”
While in the criminal case, the prosecution said that the universities were victims of corruption, Bowen claims that Adidas and his employees were involved in fraud, bribery and money laundering at the expense of his collegial rights. That’s why Bowen is demanding unspecified damages.
“Because of this criminal scheme and through their own fault Brian and the other student-athletes lost the right to play basketball for the teams in any University, and also lost the right to receive the financial assistance needed to continue learning, and have lost a unique opportunity to develop physically and athletically in the NBA draft in the elite basketball program of NCAA Division I “, – reads the statement from McLeod Law Group.
