Iowa
Gambling busts at Iowa State were the result of improper searches, athletes’ attorneys contend
(AP) – Iowa State athletes caught in a gambling sting last year were criminally charged and lost NCAA eligibility as a result of improper searches into their online wagering activities, according to defense attorneys’ court filings.
Attorneys for former Iowa State football players Isaiah Lee and Jirehl Brock and wrestler Paniro Johnson wrote in motions for discovery last week that special agents for the state Division of Criminal Investigation had no reasonable cause to track their clients’ use of sports wagering apps.
“These investigations were done without any tips of wrongdoing, allegations of wrongdoing, or by requesting a warrant which raises Constitutional issues involving illegal searches and seizures,” Van Plumb, attorney for Lee, wrote in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday. “Motions have been filed with the Court setting forth this information in an attempt to gain access to more discovery surrounding these events.”
The DCI public information officer and defense attorneys Christopher Sandy and Matthew Boles did not respond to AP requests for comment.
Lee, Brock and Johnson were among about two dozen Iowa State and Iowa athletes criminally charged. Those three each face a felony charge of identity theft and aggravated misdemeanor charge of tampering with records. Former Iowa State football player Enyi Uwazurike, who faces the same charges as the other three in Iowa, is now with the Denver Broncos and was suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games in 2022.
Most of the Iowa and Iowa State athletes who were charged pleaded guilty to underage gambling, paid fines and had identity theft charges dropped. The identity theft charges stemmed from athletes registering accounts on mobile sports betting apps under different names, usually a relative.
The investigation and prosecutions drew national attention because athletes at the two schools were the primary targets and occurred as the NCAA was addressing concerns about nationwide expansion of legal sports wagering.
NCAA rules prohibit wagering by athletes, coaches and staff, with athletes losing varying amounts of eligibility depending on the violation. Lee and Brock were among five starters on the Cyclones football team who lost some or all of their eligibility and are no longer in the program.
Johnson, the Big 12 champion at 149 pounds last year, is on the wrestling roster but has not competed for the Cyclones. He has participated in open events as an unattached wrestler.
Plumb, citing depositions taken two weeks ago, wrote that DCI special agent Brian Sanger conducted warrantless searches on the Iowa campus. Sanger found wagering apps were opened in freshman and sophomore dormitories, but he could not determine whether they were used to make wagers. Sanger asked his superiors for permission to expand the search and was told no, according to the filings.
Sanger then placed a geofence around Iowa and Iowa State athletic facilities that have restricted access and again found evidence of open wagering apps. He requested subpoenas for account information of hundreds of individuals without reasonable cause, Plumb wrote, and the result was indictments against Iowa athletes. Plumb contends their privacy had been invaded.
In his Jan. 19 deposition, Sanger said that while he didn’t recall why he conducted warrantless searches, he was concerned about possible match fixing and people infiltrating Iowa’s athletic teams to gain insider information.
Sandy, Johnson’s attorney, cited the deposition of DCI special agent Mark Ludwick, who said the search of athletes was illegal and that he was misled by other agents about the purpose of the investigation. He said special agent Troy Nelson had said the nature of the investigation was administrative with the targets being FanDuel, Draft Kings and other online gaming operators.
According to the filing, Ludwick reassured Lee the focus was on the gaming operators and no criminal consequence would come from what was said. Lee made statements regarding his online gaming activities; Ludwick said when he reported his interview to Nelson he was congratulated “for obtaining a confession.”
Ludwick, who told his superiors he would no longer participate and requested reassignment, said there was no geofence warrant and there was no reasonable suspicion to conduct the search. His deposition also was cited in a motion filed by Boles, Brock’s attorney.
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An Iowa high school graduate who rose through the ranks of undrafted player to Super Bowl winning quarterback and eventual Pro Football Hall of Famer, will add another honor to his legacy.
Kurt Warner will be part of the University of Northern Iowa Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the school announced.
Warner, a graduate of Cedar Rapids Regis High School (which would later be renamed Cedar Rapids Xavier), was a multi-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball.
He enrolled at Northern Iowa after and earned the opportunity to start for the Panthers at quarterback as a senior, earning Gateway Conference Offensive Player of the Year and first team all-league honors.
Warner, though, would go undrafted, receiving an invitation to try out with the Green Bay Packers. After being cut, he returned to Cedar Falls, stocking shelves at a local grocery store before finding a home with the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena Football League.
From Stocking Grocery Shelves To Throwing Super Bowl Touchdowns
In 1998, Warner played in NFL Europe, leading the league in touchdowns and passing yards. He earned a spot with the St. Louis Rams later that year in the NFL, taking over as the starter after Trent Green suffered a season-ending injury.
The rest was history, as Warner led the Rams to a win over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV and won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. He threw for 414 yards and two touchdowns, earning him the Super Bowl MVP, as well.
Warner twice on the MVP award for the season, was a four-time Pro Bowl selection, twice named to the all-pro first team and set three NFL all-time records. He finished his career with 32,344 yards passing and 208 touchdowns.
Several Other Former Iowans Set To Be Enshrined
Joining Warner in the Class of 2026 will be Des Moines Hoover High School graduate and swimmer, Mark Crouch, Fort Dodge native and wrestler, Jim Sanford, West Delaware High School grad and volleyball standout Ashten Stelken, State Center native and multi-sport star Kay (Whitaker) Wieck and Cedar Falls native Hannah Bermel, who will be honored with the Merlin Taylor Academic Award.
Gary Rima, the voice of the Panthers and a native of Strawberry Point, will be presented with the Dr. Jitu Kothari Meritorious Service Award with Bob Justis.
“We are thrilled to announce a Hall of Fame class worthy of the honor as the university marks its 150th anniversary,” Northern Iowa Director of Athletics Megan Franklin said in a press release from the school. “The inductees represent program defining players, voices that brought iconic moments to life and lifts up the celebration of scholarship definidng the student-athlete experience.
“Needless to say, in this sesquicentennial year, the Hall of Fame committee put together a very special class highlighting the very best in UNI athletics history.”
The induction ceremony is set for Friday, September 11 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with the class being recognized the following day during Northern Iowa’s home opener inside the UNI-Dome vs. Drake.
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AMES — After six years and two different roles at Iowa State, Emily Ryan was named an assistant coach for Iowa State’s women’s basketball program Thursday.
Ryan spent five years as a player for the Cyclones from 2020-25 and, most recently, the 2025-26 season as a graduate assistant for the program.
“Emily’s loyalty and commitment to Iowa State women’s basketball has been truly special,” head coach Bill Fennelly said via a news release. “Our players will be learning the Iowa State Way from one of the best Cyclones ever!”
Prior to coaching, Ryan quickly established herself as a Cyclone and became one of the program’s most notable point guards.
Ryan concluded her time as a Cyclone with 1,632 points, 656 rebounds and 993 assists. These statistics marked Ryan as the third NCAA women’s basketball player to have more than 1,500 points, 600 rebounds and 900 assists.
Additionally, as a player, Ryan earned three Big 12 selections in the Big 12 Tournament, and 2024 marked Ryan as an All-Tournament Team member. Outside of the Big 12, Ryan was on the Naismith Trophy Watch List three times.
After transitioning from on the court to the sidelines, Ryan’s graduate assistant role focused on developing the program’s point guards.
The most notable point guard Ryan worked with was former Cyclone Jada Williams, who spent one season with the team.
During the 2025-26 season, Williams quickly filled the role of the floor general, averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 7.7 assists while shooting 41.7%.
The new role for Ryan will quickly escalate as the team welcomes seven guards to the program ahead of the 2026-27 season.
“Emily made a tremendous impact on our program as a player, and that will continue as a coach,” Fennelly said.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Forty Iowa lawmakers, including Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann, are urging federal regulators to reject a request from utility companies that would temporarily halt competition for major electric transmission projects.
In a letter sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, lawmakers asked regulators to deny a complaint filed by utilities seeking a moratorium on transmission competition, arguing the move would increase electricity costs for consumers and reduce market competition.
The complaint, filed in April by incumbent utilities against regional grid operators Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, and Southwest Power Pool, seeks to pause competitive bidding for transmission projects across multiple states.
Supporters of competition argue the change would effectively allow utilities to receive no-bid control over billions of dollars in future transmission projects tied to growing electricity demand, including from data centers.
The lawmakers wrote that Iowa has repeatedly rejected anti-competitive legislation in recent years and pointed to President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at reducing regulatory barriers for new market participants.
“The utility complaint is tone deaf to the electricity affordability crisis facing Americans,” Paul Cicio, chair of the Electricity Transmission Competition Coalition, said in a statement. “Suspending competition in MISO and SPP would expose consumers in these regions to billions in unchecked cost escalation for years, guaranteeing higher utility bills.”
Utilities that filed the complaint include ITC Midwest, Ameren Services, Xcel Energy and several other regional electric providers.
The coalition opposing the complaint argues competitive bidding has historically lowered costs for transmission projects in MISO and SPP regions, while utilities say changes are needed to speed project development amid growing energy demand.
The dispute comes as energy providers face increasing pressure to expand electric infrastructure to meet demand from large-scale developments, including data centers.
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