More than 20 current and former college athletes, including six Iowa State wrestlers, have filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Iowa Bureau of Criminal Investigation of violating their constitutional rights by conducting warrantless searches during a sports gambling investigation. woke up.
The lawsuit, filed Friday, alleges that DCI officials illegally used geofencing software to check whether people had gambling apps open inside university athletic facilities and to search student-athletes' cellphones without a search warrant. claims to have searched for.
The plaintiffs include 26 Iowa State wrestlers Nelson Brands, Tony Cassioppi, Abe Assad, Kobe Siebrecht, Callan Schriever and Patrick Kennedy.
The NCAA suspended Brands, Cassioppi, Assad and Siebrecht for the season for violating sports betting rules, but Schriever and Kennedy received shorter suspensions.
“The actions of the DCI and the failure of the legal investigation against the Plaintiffs resulted in all of the Plaintiffs being indicted and some convicted, and as described below, had their lives, academic careers, and future opportunities significantly upended. ” attorneys Matt Boles and Van Pram wrote. 47 page lawsuit.
The players are seeking damages for “deprivation of constitutional rights.” Humiliation, degradation, public ridicule, loss of personal reputation, emotional distress. Actual damages, including but not limited to past, present, and future pain and suffering and medical expenses. Punitive damages. “All costs associated with bringing this action, including court costs, anticipated discovery costs, anticipated expert fees, maximum legally permissible judgment interest and permissible under federal or state law.'' This includes, but is not limited to, other costs.
In addition to the Iowa wrestlers, plaintiffs include:
— Iowa State baseball players Keaton Anthony, Gehrig Christensen, Jacob Henderson, and Benjamin Tolman.
— Iowa basketball player Aaron Ulis.
— Iowa State football players Aaron Blom, Reggie Bracey, Erland Bruce IV, Jack Johnson and Noah Shannon.
— Iowa State basketball player Jeremiah Williams.
— Iowa State football players Jirelle Bullock, Howard Brown, Hunter Dekkers, Deshawn Hanika, Isaiah Lee, Jake Remsburg, Dodge Souther, Eiyoma Uwazurike.
— Jake English, baseball player at Ellsworth Community College.
The defendants in this case are the State of Iowa, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, DPS Commissioner Stephen Beyens, DCI Director Paul Feddersen, DCI Assistant Director David Jobs, and the DCI Special Investigation in Charge of the DCI Sports Wagering Division. It is a government official. Troy Nelson and DCI Agent Brian Sanger.
