Toledo Sports Gambling Investigation Becomes Public

Among new revelations in the sports betting scandal are an admission by former running back Adam Cuomo that he was a key party to point-shaving schemes in both football and basketball.

Two years of a federal investigation into allegations of point-shaving and gambling corruption at the University of Toledo are documented in a complaint that was unsealed this week in US District Court in Detroit. Among new revelations in the sports betting scandal are an admission by former running back Adam Cuomo that he was a key party to point-shaving schemes in both football and basketball.

Cuomo was only a reserve football player, but was central to the sports gambling scam. His name joins those of former basketball player Sammy Villegas and running back Harvey McDougle as accused participants.

"Cuomo stated that he was the University of Toledo player who started the point shaving scheme with 'Gary,'" the complaint says Cuomo told FBI agents. Gary Manni, the manager of a Detroit grocery store, and Mitchell Karam, a real estate investor, are alleged to have been the money behind the scheme.

Cuomo admits to having shared information with gamblers, and to recruiting other athletes at Toledo to help fix games by committing penalties and turnovers. Cuomo is presently in Canada, and authorities are prepared to extradite him if he does not voluntarily return.

NCAA overseers and FBI investigators admit amazement that the players cooperated for apparently small compensation. Amounts paid to players who shaved points are estimated as low as $500.

Sports authority Edmund Crumley says,"Part of the cause of such corruption is the NCAA 'slave' system, which blocks any money to student-athletes while schools make millions from their play."