ISU QB, 4 more plead guilty to reduced charge
- Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Elder WriterSep 6, 2023, 04:28 PM ET Close College football reporter.
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008.
- Graduate of Northwestern University.Iowa State quarterback
Hunter Dekkers and four other present or previous ISU and Iowa professional athletes have actually pleaded guilty to minor gambling, a decreased charge, after a state examination into sports wagering.Dekkers, offending lineman Jake Remsburg, former Iowa State
player Dodge Sauser, previous Iowa kicker Aaon Blom and former Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen all went into guilty pleas. They and other Iowa State and Iowa professional athletes had been charged with damaging records, an aggravated misdemeanor that carried an optimum charge of two years in prison.The minor gaming charge brings a fine of$645. None of the guys will deal with additional criminal penalties.Editor’s Picks”The original records tampering charge against these young men never ever fit this case, either lawfully or factually,” lawyer Mark Weinhardt, who represents Dekkers, Remsburg and Sauser, stated in a declaration. “Hunter, Jake, and Dodge are not and never ever were guilty of that charge. The charge has nothing to do with gaming. Aside from the fact that Hunter, Jake, and Dodge positioned some bets before they turned 21, absolutely nothing about those bets was a crime under Iowa law.”
Weinhardt stated the athletes can now “concentrate on the instructional and eligibility elements of this matter.”
Dekkers presently is not taking part in team activities for Iowa State.More than a dozen
existing or former Iowa State and Iowa athletes have actually been charged in the state’s investigation. Numerous have actually admitted to utilizing online accounts belonging to their moms and dads or others over 21 to place sports wagers.Several athletes positioned wagers on occasions involving their own groups, which can result in permanent eligibility loss, according to NCAA guidelines. Remsburg is dealing with a six-game suspension from the NCAA, according to sources. He confessed to wagering$1,108 on events, including 6 NCAA-sanctioned games.Dekkers admitted to wagering $2,700 on occasions, consisting of a football game when he
was on the group. He remains on ISU’s roster but has not been taking part in group activities. Other significant ISU players, such as running back Jirehl Brock and protective lineman Isaiah Lee, have left the program.Sauser, an offending lineman who did not participate in any games at ISU, confessed to wagering more than$3,075 on sporting occasions, including four Cyclones games in which he did not participate.Blom was accused of positioning wagers on some Iowa events, including the Iowa-Iowa State football game in 2021, in which he did not play.