Alabama Recruiting Scandal Trial; Logan Young

[jimotis4heisman]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/colle...ng-trial_x.htm

Trial under way in 'Bama recruiting scandal
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A wealthy businessman at the center of a football recruiting scandal bragged to friends he was the reason a top high school player signed with Alabama, a federal prosecutor said Monday. But the lead defense lawyer for businessman Logan Young said the government's evidence against his client is weak and its chief witness is a liar.
Young is charged with paying former high school coach Lynn Lang $150,000 to get defensive lineman Albert Means to sign with Alabama in 2000. An NCAA investigation, which included a look into Means' recruitment, led to sanctions against the Crimson Tide in 2002. Young was a longtime Alabama booster when Means made his choice of a college.

Since then, the university has broken its ties with Young. In his opening statement to the trial jury, Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred Godwin said Young bragged that ``he's mine'' when talking about which college Means would attend.

``This case is about the buying and selling of a young man,'' Godwin said.

Lang, who has admitted taking a bribe to send Means to Alabama, will testify for the prosecution, Godwin said. He has not been sentenced. But defense attorney James Neal told the jury of seven women and five men that Lang cannot be believed. For months before pleading guilty to a racketeering charge, he professed innocence, Neal said, telling government investigators, Memphis school officials and news reporters that he knew nothing about a payoff.

``In order to convict Logan Young of anything, you have got to believe Lynn Lang,'' Neal said.

Godwin said records will show Young made numerous bank withdrawals about the time Lang was making deposits. Many of those transactions were just under the $10,000 threshold required for reporting them to banking regulators, he said. At a time when Lang was making less than $30,000 a year, he put more than $47,000 in his bank account and bought a sports car, Godwin said.

``Follow the money,'' he told the jury.

Neal said former Memphis coach Rip Scherer and former Alabama assistant Ivy Williams will be called as defense witnesses. Lang has said he was referred to Young by Williams. In his indictment, Lang was accused of shopping Means around to other schools, including Memphis. Young is charged with conspiring to bribe a public servant, crossing state lines in a racketeering conspiracy and setting up bank transactions to hide a crime.

The trial is expected to last about two weeks. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars, but federal guidelines would call for a much lighter sentence upon conviction. Means attended Alabama for one year before transferring to Memphis where he recently completed his football eligibility. Authorities say he knew nothing about a payoff.

[ntd]

I think about all I ever heard about this was one episode of Outside the Lines a couple of years ago...its a pretty terrible story, I'm glad that Means eventually got back to Memphis and had a little bit of a career

[BuckeyeNation27]

this is much different from what happened this year with us. i can tell why it wasnt blasted all over bspn.

[djtidebuck]

The story did not get the same national exposure because it did not involve a high profile player like Clarett, but in the South, the story has been dragged through every circle, over and over.

[BuckeyeNation27]

Originally Posted by djtidebuck

The story did not get the same national exposure because it did not involve a high profile player like Clarett, but in the South, the story has been dragged through every circle, over and over.

oh well that more then makes up for it

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

This story has alot of meat to it and I barely know anything about it, it would be nice if ESPN was all over this like they are when we have an issue. Pathetic.

[djtidebuck]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

oh well that more then makes up for it

Buckeyenation27, in no way was I suggesting that it made up for anything. The way ESPN has treated the Buckeye story, in my opinion is unfair. I don't know why the national media has given the Buckeye situation such negative publicity.

[martinss01]

just remember guys, espin's attack on us wasn't personal. they were "just following the story". which can be clearly proven by compairing how they followed these two stories.


first i have heard of this as well.