Louisville Basketball Allegedly Using Questionable Tactics to Recruit Players
It is amazing the lengths college teams go to to bring in recruits for the sake of winning national championships. All teams do it, but the best teams do not get caught. It is an unfortunate truth, but it is real. The University of Louisville Cardinals basketball team is the latest team that could not get away with it.
Pay For Play
The term “pay for play” has been taken to a new level in college athletics. Louisville is under investigation for allegedly hiring prostitutes to perform sexual acts on recruits during visits, detailed in “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen,” a new book which released Friday. The book is written by Katina Powell, the “Escort Queen” who describes herself as a madam that provided women for the team, and published by IBJ Book Publishing LLC — a company associated with the Indianapolis Business Journal. Powell alleges former Cardinals player, graduate assistant and director of basketball operations Andre McGee contact her various times and paid her thousands of dollars over a four-year period to provide strippers and prostitutes for recruits at Billy Minardi Hall, which houses the basketball team. Why is Powell doing this? For the money, of course. She will receive ten-percent of the book’s earnings. McGee, an assistant coach at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, has been placed on leave while UMKC investigates the situation further. Scott Cox, a Louisville lawyer representing McGee, said his client admits to knowing Powell from his time as a player from 2005-9 but is denying the allegations against him. Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich and head basketball coach Rick Pitino are shocked by the findings and are still trying to uncover the facts. The IBJ has said it identified all people involved and included several photos in the book.
Breaking Cardinal Rules includes pix of dancers/escorts with players at what author says is #UofL dorm. Here’s one. pic.twitter.com/CB2FHk3Yan
— IBJ News (@IBJnews) October 2, 2015
Soliciting Prostitution in Tennessee
No matter what part of the country you are in, soliciting prostitution is illegal and will lead to jail time and fines. Given that the recruits were still in high school means many of them were likely underage. If that were the case, in Tennessee, McGee would face a class E felony for patronizing prostitution, which is punishable by one to six years in prison and a maximum fine of $3,000. Given the amount of time McGee has allegedly contacted Powell for her services, the penalties could be greater.
Hire a Tennessee Criminal Defense Attorney
At Turner Law Offices, P.C., we understand the embarrassment that comes with being accused of a sex crime. We have over 20 years of experience in defending clients dealing with sex crimes, and we know how to handle your case without much publicity and exposure. If you are being accused of a sex crime, you need an understanding, compassionate and experienced defense attorney on your side who will work tirelessly to provide the best defense possible. Call us or Request a Free Initial Consultation online today to schedule a meeting with one of our excellent attorneys.
