One of the major players in Alabama baseball’s gambling scandal that resulted in the firing and NCAA ban of coach Brad Bohannon has been sentenced in the U.S. district court for the northern district of Alabama. Bert Neff, an Indiana businessman, was sentenced to eight months in prison on Monday.
Neff will also serve three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison. He could have received up to a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to obstructing a federal grand jury investigation.
“Faced with a federal grand jury investigation, he worked to game the system,” assistant U.S. attorney Edward Canter wrote in a sentencing memorandum obtained by AL.com. “The defendant destroyed evidence, tampered with witnesses, and provided false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He did not do this once. He did it on dozens of occasions, and he did so for the greater part of a year.”
Neff must report to a designated facility to begin serving his sentence by Oct. 29, according to court records. The scandal at Alabama began with Neff attempting to place a bet on Alabama baseball after receiving a tip from Bohannon, who was about to announce his starting pitcher was out of an SEC matchup with LSU.
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According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Neff destroyed his cell phone and encouraged others to do so as well. He also allegedly tried to convince witnesses not to participate in a federal investigation and tried to coach witnesses before they testified in front of a grand jury.
“(Neff) demonstrated an uncommon persistence in his effort to obstruct justice,” Canter wrote. “Not only did he destroy his phone at the outset of the investigation. He doubled down on obstruction at every opportunity, compounding the seriousness of the offense.”
The game in question was played on April 23, 2023. Bohannon was fired in May.
The former Alabama coach was given a 15-year show cause order by the NCAA for his alleged actions. Any school that hires him must suspend him for the first five regular seasons of his tenure.
Alabama received three years of NCAA probation and a $5,000 fine for the incident. UA must also retain a firm that will provide gambling education to players, coaches and administrators.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Alabama State Hornets meet in the first game of Saturday’s action at the Tuscaloosa Regional on Saturday.
The Cowboys (37-21) and the Hornets lost their first games of the tournament on Friday. The loser of this game will be eliminated. The winner of this game will advance to another elimination game on Sunday between the loser of the USC Upstate-Alabama game, which follows OSU-ASU
Oklahoma State fans can keep up with the game here, including lineups and inning by inning details on the game. Check out Oklahoma State On SI’s NCAA Tournament Central for everything related to the Tuscaloosa Regional.
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Game Details
Oklahoma State vs. Alabama State
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Oklahoma State pitcher Stormy Rhodes. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Time: 1 p.m. central
TV: ESPN+ (Derek Jones & Jared Mitchell on the call). NOTE: TV is subject to change without notice.
Radio: Cowboy Radio Network & The Varsity Network App/93.7 KSPI-FM or okla.state/GetVarsity (Rex Holt on the call)
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OSU Batting Order
The batting order for Saturday’s game will be posted here when it is released by the team.
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Tuscaloosa Regional
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Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Venue: Sewell-Thomas Stadium (5,867).
Friday’s Results
Game 1: USC Upstate 8, Oklahoma State 5
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Game 2: Alabama 21, Alabama State 3
Saturday’s Games
Game 3: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama State, TBA (elimination game)
Game 4: USC Upstate vs. Alabama, TBA (advances to Sunday’s final)
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Sunday’s Games
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 (elimination game)
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5
Monday’s Game
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Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary)
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – For those incarcerated in Alabama, there is a path to employment through the Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles Re-Entry Program.
The Bureau looks at where someone may live after serving their sentence and starts connecting them with potential employers, while also conducting drug screenings to help ensure employers and communities are getting a safe employee.
“We make sure as they’re moving through our re-entry programs that they’re re-assessed for mental health stability for substance abuse challenges,” said Rebecca Bensema, Assistant Director of Re-entry and Rehabilitation.
Bensema said the agency sits down with inmates to gauge their interests and review their work history to help match them with opportunities.
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Bureau Director Cam Ward explained that there are areas where an individual would be unable to work because of their conviction.
“For example, if I committed check fraud, I’m not going to be able to get a job at the bank. Sex offense… you’re not going to be eligible to work anywhere near kids or sensitive facilities,” Ward said.
Ward said offering job possibilities to people leaving incarceration is key to reducing recidivism and repeat offenses.
“Give the employer all the information and if they want to hire somebody based on their criminal history, let the employer decide, don’t let the government be the one who dictates it,” he said.
The Alabama Bureau of Pardons and Paroles says it currently has positions open that people with a criminal background can apply for.
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Alabama football is hosting an impressive group of 2027 recruits throughout this weekend. This is the first of several weekends the Tide will host top recruits for official visits.
So, will Alabama add a commit this weekend? This is very much possible, and there are a few prospects Touchdown Alabama has our eyes on.
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.