Athletes allegedly singled out

A new court filing has raised the “possibility that only high-profile athletes were targeted” by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), during its 2023 sports betting probe that led to some losing their remaining NCAA eligibility.

“warrantless” investigation that went after Iowa State University (ISU) and University of Iowa (UI) athletes

A motion filed Monday by an attorney for ex-Iowa State players charged with illegal sports betting accused the DCI of launching a “warrantless” investigation that went after ISU and UI athletes “without reasonable cause.”

Van Plumb represents ex-Iowa State defensive lineman Isaiah Lee and defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike, plus other student athletes the Iowa District Court charged after the 2023 sports wagering investigation.

The court documents state DCI Agent Brian Sanger used data gathering product Kibana to GeoFence particular buildings on both university campuses to target underage gamblers using online betting apps.

Van Plumb states that Sanger acted without receiving any complaints or evidence of the student athletes betting.

An alleged witch hunt

The filing cites a deposition on January 19 in which Sanger claimed he “cannot remember why he decided to conduct the warrantless searches.”

The deposition continued with Sanger’s attempt to justify what was at the time an allegedly baseless witch hunt, stating he was “concerned about things such as people infiltrating Iowa’s sports teams to gain insider information or match fixing.”

Sanger’s first attempt at GeoFencing freshman/sophomore dorms at UI allegedly didn’t bear fruit. He couldn’t tell who was opening the DraftKings or FanDuel apps and placing bets.

zoned in on a UI athletic facility

Even though Sanger’s DCI supervisors refused him permission to continue the probe after coming back empty handed, he allegedly tried again without a warrant. This time, he zoned in on a UI athletic facility off limits to everyone but athletes, coaching staff, and personnel.

This time, the motion states, the DCI gave Sanger permission to continue his investigation.

“The result was the indictment of a handful” of UI athletes. Sanger’s sports focused GeoFencing strategy allegedly worked again at ISU, with more student athletes caught betting.

Constitutional issues

According to a statement Plumb gave to ESPN later on Monday, the attorney said the motions came as a direct result of Sanger’s depositions.

The depositions revealed that “Special Agent Sanger chose to use software that allowed him to access people’s private information without a warrant.” Plumb added that it “raises Constitutional issues involving illegal searches and seizures.”

Monday’s filing is requesting a judge give the defense team a number of documents in the case from Iowa DCI investigators. These include the DCI’s policy and procedure on GeoComply software use, and a significant amount of communication between agents, linked schools, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, and other organizations.