3 NCAA assistant coaches appear in court over bribery scandal
Arizona's Emanuel Richardson, USC's Tony Bland, and Auburn's Chuck Person all appeared in front of Judge Katherine H. Parker in a New York courtroom Tuesday afternoon, stemming from an NCAA bribery probe.
The three assistant coaches, along with Adidas' Merl Code and former NBA referee and custom clothier Rashan Michel, were released on $100,000 bonds.
All five men, as well as five others, were arrested on Sept. 26. The coaches are being charged with bribery conspiracy, solicitation of bribes, honest services fraud conspiracy, honest service fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and Travel Act conspiracy.
Related: All 4 coaches arrested in NCAA probe suspended by respective schools
According to The U.S. Department of Justice, the maximum sentence they face is 80 years in prison.
The probe in question involved coaches steering their players, who were en route to the NBA, toward agents, advisers, and apparel companies, after being bribed with tens of thousands of dollars.
Their preliminary hearings are set for Nov. 9, unless there's a prior indictment. One of the lawyers told ESPN's Jeff Goodman and Darren Rovell that an indictment is likely.
The college basketball season gets underway on Nov. 10.