Kansas City, Mo ? Amateur basketball coach Myron Piggie admitted Tuesday that he schemed to defraud four major universities, their conferences and the NCAA by making payments to high school stars who played for him in summer league games.
Piggie, 39, of Kansas City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Gary Fenner to one felony count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and a misdemeanor count of failing to file a federal income tax return.
Under terms of a plea agreement, the government will move to dismiss other charges when Piggie is sentenced, Assistant U.S. Attorney William L. Meiners said.
Two unrelated indictments against Piggie were returned under seal on April 12 by a federal grand jury.
Piggie could face a maximum sentence of five years in prison without parole and a fine of $25,000 on the conspiracy charge, and up to one year and $100,000 on the tax count.
U.S. Attorney Steve Hill said Piggie acknowledged cash payments of $35,550 to the players between 1996 and 1999.
Hill said that Piggie, who coached the Kansas City-based Children’s Mercy Hospital 76ers in various summer league and Amateur Athletic Union games, made cash payments to players with the stated intention that they would compensate him later when they signed professional basketball and endorsement contracts.
Hill said Piggie admitted using his players to obtain $420,401 for himself. The prosecutor said Piggie got $184,435 in salary and team sponsorship from Kansas City businessman Thomas Grant, $159,866 from Nike Corp. and $76,100 from sports agents Jerome Stanley and Kevin Poston.
Piggie admitted paying $17,000 to Kansas City’s JaRon Rush, who later attended UCLA; $14,000 to Korleone Young of Wichita, who did not attend college but was drafted by the NBA’s Detroit Pistons; $2,000 to Corey Maggette, who later attended Duke; $2,300 to Kareem Rush, JaRon’s brother who went to Missouri; and $250 to Andre Williams, who went to Oklahoma State.
