Chuck Person, Bribery, New York 2019

Defendant Admits to Taking Bribes in Exchange for Influence

As he has now admitted, Chuck Person, a 54-year-old former men’s basketball coach at Auburn University, abused his position as a coach and mentor to student-athletes in exchange for personal gain. Person, of Auburn, Alabama, took cash bribes from athlete advisers in exchange for using his influence over Auburn basketball players to retain the services of the advisers paying the bribes.

Person, who was in charge of the Division I men’s basketball team at Auburn University until shortly after his arrest, agreed to accept cash bribes in return for agreeing to exert his influence over student-athletes on his team to retain the services of the bribe-payers, including once the student-athletes entered the National Basketball Association (NBA)

Person received approximately $91,500 in cash bribes from a financial adviser and business manager, who, unbeknownst to Person, was providing information to law enforcement. In exchange for the cash bribes, Person agreed to exert his influence over certain student-athletes he coached at Auburn University to retain the services of the bribe-payer once those players entered the NBA

The bribe payments were initially arranged by a co-conspirator who had a preexisting relationship with Person and operated a clothing store that specialized in making bespoke suits for professional athletes

Person, in fact, arranged multiple meetings between the bribe-payer and Auburn players and/or their family members. In those meetings, Person falsely touted the bribe-payer’s qualifications as a financial adviser and business manager without disclosing that Person was being bribed to recommend the bribe-payer

The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Robert L. Boone, Aline R. Flodr, Noah Solowiejczyk, and Eli J. Mark are in charge of the prosecution

Person is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9th, 2019, before Judge Loretta A. Preska, and faces a maximum term of five years in prison and must forfeit $91,500 as a condition of his plea

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