A father cried in a Manhattan court on Thursday for derailing his son’s college basketball career by accepting $100,000 in secret gifts, and said that several NCAA Division 1 schools had tried to recruit his son and promised to pay to do so, according to the New York Post.
Brian Bowen Sr. was only in a few minutes into his testimony when he broke down in front of the Manhattan federal jury over his son, “Brian “Tugs” Bowen.
Prosecutor Edward Diskant asked if Tugs was “presently in college.
“No,” Bowen responded.
“Why not?” asked Diskant, which led to Bowen beginning to sob.
He admitted he had accepted payments from companies and coaches since his son was in middle school and that he had received several officers last year when his son was deciding which college to attend.
Bowen struck an immunity deal in order to testify against James Gatto, an executive from Adidas, and two other officials from the company who were charged with paying athletes to play at schools sponsored by Adidas.
Bowen alleged he received $100,000 from Gatto and the other men for his son to go to the University of Illinois.
