3star_recruit Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 http://espn.go.com/ncb/news/2003/0819/1599187.html Excerpt: Boone County authorities have given the FBI more than two dozen hours of recorded jailhouse phone conversations of former Missouri basketball player Ricky Clemons, Sheriff Ted Boehm said Tuesday. The FBI declined to comment about why it gathered the phone recordings and incoming mail for Clemons, who is serving a 60-day sentence after pleading guilty to false imprisonment of his former girlfriend. The NCAA is separately investigating allegations made by the former girlfriend, Jessica Bunge, that Clemons received cash and clothing and cheated on exams while playing for Missouri. "I can confirm that we provided the FBI with the phone recordings and the mail of Ricky Clemons,'' Boehm told The Associated Press. Boehm's comments were the first law enforcement acknowledgment of the FBI's interest in Clemons, who was kicked off the basketball team and had his athletic scholarship revoked in July after a judge ordered him to jail. Clemons, who has been incarcerated since mid-July, is scheduled to be released Sunday. He will remain on probation. Clemons' attorney, Wally Bley, said he was unaware the FBI had any interest in his client. "How many more twists can this sordid tale take?'' Bley said. Clemons is declining all interview requests, Bley said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 I didn't think this case could get more bizarre, but it has. If mizzou didn't think it was in trouble it does now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 The FBI has requested Ricky Clemons's phone converstations and mail, but it doesn't mean it's related to Missouri or that they're investigating Clemons. Maybe Clemons, who has a shady past and shady associations, has information on someone else that the FBI is investigating. Also, if the FBI is investigating Clemons, couldin't it mean that he was getting the money Jessica Bunge is alledging he received from some source other than the Mizzou athletic department? Remember, Clemons says he can get away with anything, and perhaps he wants to stab Mizzou in the back. I still hold on to the hope that Mizzou hasn't done all the wrong they're being accused of doing and that Clemons is the lone guilty party, but at this point not much would surprise me, anymore. This junk is definitely getting more bizarre by the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 shaving? just wild speculation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basketbill Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 point shaving might make a great deal of sense......in this bizarre case. If it can make sense ot cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Possibly, though I can't really think that there were any games it was obvious Clemons would be shaving points in. He was basically awful for the remainder of the season after being charged with assaulting Bunge, but before then I believe he was Missouri's leading scorer. One would think that his legal troubles, not gambling pressures, would contribute to his drop-off in performance. Or was that whole thing orchestrated? More wild speculation. I guess some money or federally illegal activity had to have been going on (or is suspected) if the FBI is interested in Clemons. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with Missouri's possible NCAA violations. Even so, it's another potential black eye for Mizzou. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 well the bunge statements about clemons getting wads of cash and toys etc if true can come only two ways, eiher a dirty booster/coach paying him to play for the tigers, or a gambler paying him to slyly not play when playing for the tigers. maybe the fbi is just trying to make sure it isnt the second choice. while it isnt ethical or by the ncaa rules, it isnt a federal felony for clemons to be paid by a coach/booster is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 thicks, point shaving would never be "obvious". if it was, it wouldnt last long. a good shaver would throw an errant pass here or there, force a few bad shots, not play particularly good defense to allow the opponent to get a few unnoticed points and turn a 15 point win into a 7 point win assuming the spread was more than 7 for example. yet that same person might easily lead the team in scoring and/or assists. last year's team clemons would have been the perfect player to use if i was a gambler looking for my "player" for the tigers. it would be interesting to see how missouri performed last year versus the spread. surely there is a site somewhere that would have that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted August 20, 2003 Author Share Posted August 20, 2003 http://www.covers.com/includes/articles.asp?theArt=5285 After jumping out to a 10-1 SU and 6-2 ATS starts to the season, the Missouri Tigers cooled off, going a mediocre 11-9 ATS on the backstretch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 >well the bunge statements about clemons getting wads of cash >and toys etc if true can come only two ways, eiher a dirty >booster/coach paying him to play for the tigers, or a >gambler paying him to slyly not play when playing for the >tigers. maybe the fbi is just trying to make sure it isnt >the second choice. while it isnt ethical or by the ncaa >rules, it isnt a federal felony for clemons to be paid by a >coach/booster is it? Remember the Chris Webber case? It was also a federal case and the lead count was, I believe, perjury; however, there were other counts. Tax evasion is another possible avenue of inquiry although, usually, the IRS would show up with a civil summons before using the FBI. If the FBI is involved, there is something more there than failing to report illegal gifts from Mizzou boosters as income (i.e., drug distribution, money laundering, wire fraud, etc.). I think Mizzou has serious problems if the FBI is nosing around Clemons. The chances that the issues they are investigating are not related to Mizzou are remote in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Receiving money from a booster is a violation of NCAA rules but is not a felony (or any other crime). Failure to report to the IRS gifts in excess of the statutory gift exemption ($11,000 a year, I believe) may violate IRS laws and reguations. Point shaving (which has not been reported or alleged in this case by any repuatable media source) may be a violation of federal racketeering laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 barely a 500 record down the stretch when the team was performing extremely well vs the spread the first half of the year. coincidence that clemons consistency and production fell down the stretch as well and now the fbi is knocking on the door? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACE Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Clemons did have a hand injury that hurt his production late in the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwd789 Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Clemons also was playing with a broken wrist towards the end of the season, just to get that point out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slu72 Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 well all the more reason he maybe shouldnt have shot as many poor shots. plus if my memory serves me correctly it was not his shooting hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Majerus Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 Only the giver is required to report gifts in excess of 11K per person per year. Q: Can a "gift" ever constitute "payment"... which would then be taxable income? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 I am not a tax attorney or an accountant, but the IRS has been known to reclassify "gifts." Examples of reclassified gifts include money received in exchange for services and money received as interest on a loan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted August 20, 2003 Share Posted August 20, 2003 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.