Busting Brackets
Fansided

College Basketball: Who is the key witness in FBI investigation?

By Tristan Freeman

NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Attorneyâs Office, Southern District of New York, on September 26, 2017 in New York, New York. announce charges of fraud and corruption in college basketball. The acting U.S. Attorney announced Federal criminal charges against ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company. (Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 26: Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Attorneyâs Office, Southern District of New York, on September 26, 2017 in New York, New York. announce charges of fraud and corruption in college basketball. The acting U.S. Attorney announced Federal criminal charges against ten people, including four college basketball coaches, as well as managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company. (Photo by Kevin Hagen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

According to multiple outlets, the key witness in the Pay-to-Play scandal has been identified. He has as shady a background as those implicated in today’s news.

The FBI has charged ten people with fraud and corruption charges involving multiple pay-to-play situations with a number of basketball programs. As of now, four assistant coaches have been arrested:

Emmanuel Richardson – Arizona

Chuck Person – Auburn

Lamont Evans – Oklahoma State

Tony Bland – USC

Other schools such as Louisville and Miami have been named as well and more could be added. The news has rocked the college basketball world in a way that could have lasting effects not just this season but beyond.

The FBI came out with what seemed like a rock solid case against those arrested today. That’s because they’ve had inside access through the darkness of recruiting with the help of their key witness, Louis Martin Blazer III.

So just who is Blazer? Well, he may know a thing or two about shady business dealings. In 2016 he was charged by the Security and Exchange Commission for stealing $2.35 million from the accounts of at least five professional athletes. His plan was to use the money for investing in some movie projects.

The former financial advisor from the city of Pittsburgh (not the school) avoided jail time with a plea. Now just a year later, he’s back in the news. This time he’s exposing others involved with using money for improper purposes.

Next: How is Jim Gatto and Addias involved in the investigation?

Play-for-pay has been suspected throughout college basketball for years. Now we have faces and names to attach to this practice. Blazer is the fastest name to be involved as the whistleblower who will go down in college basketball history.

Home/NCAA Basketball News