Current and former University of Miami players may soon have to answer to attorneys for a federal bankruptcy trustee who said they want any gifts allegedly given to them by convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro back.
Attorney Gary Freedman, who represents trustee Joel Tabas, is after the over $100 million in gifts allegedly given to 72 current and former UM football players in the past decade, according to the Miami Herald.
On Tuesday, Yahoo! Sports published a detailed report of Shapiro's run as a UM booster and the alleged benefits he provided players, which included trips to nightclubs and strip clubs, parties at his multimillion dollar mansion and yacht, cash payments, restaurant meals and in one case, an abortion for a woman impregnated by a player.
Current Miami players named by Shapiro as receiving benefits included quarterback Jacory Harris, Ray Ray Armstrong, Travis Benjamin, Sean Spence, Marcus Forston, Vaughn Telemaque, Dyron Dye, Aldarius Johnson and Olivier Vernon. Former Hurricanes quarterback Robert Marve, now at Purdue, also was named by Shapiro, Yahoo! Sports said.
Shapiro is currently serving 20 years in a federal prison for his role in a $930 million Ponzi scheme.
Freedman said he believes many of the UM gifts were "fraudulent transfers" and that his firm has "an obligation to investigate and seek their recovery."
“Certainly, we do not desire to bring additional attention to these athletes through this process and would urge them to contact our office,” Freedman told the Herald.
Freedman was able to get back a $130,000 donation Shapiro gave the university in exchange for putting his name on a student-athlete lounge.
In the meantime, head football coach Al Golden, who said he knew nothing of the allegations when he was hired in December, is keeping the 12 current players named by Shapiro on the field.
"Everybody is practicing," Golden said Wednesday. "If it is determined somebody broke rules, then certainly they'll be first dealt with. ... As we get ready for Maryland, hopefully we'll swiftly learn if errors were made. If there are guys that are going to have to sit out games, we'll adjust our practice accordingly."
