The state of Iowa has dismissed all charges in the sports gambling investigation, which included several Iowa athletes.
The case was dismissed with prejudice following the revelation that the investigation was conducted without a warrant. This case is independent of the NCAA investigation, which barred several athletes from competing in the 2023-24 season. The NCAA has yet to release a statement on the dropped charges.
Lawyers representing Iowa State football defensive lineman Isaiah Lee wrote that Division of Criminal Investigation agents monitoring gambling was the result of Sanger conducting a warrantless search on the University of Iowa and ISU campuses.
“He initially used Kibana to place a warrantless GeoFence around a freshman/sophomore dorm at the University of Iowa to investigate underage gambling without any tips, complaints, or evidence that underage gambling was occurring,” Lee’s lawyers wrote.
Kibana is a software used for data visualization. A geofence is a virtual fence or perimeter that can be used to track digital movement within its boundaries.
The University of Iowa Athletic Communications department was not initially available for comment.
Iowa athletes involved in sports betting investigation
Iowa athletes reportedly made sports bets across Iowa men’s basketball, football, baseball, and wrestling.
After the investigation started in May, the UI revealed that there are reportedly 100 individuals close to UI athletics who were flagged for potential NCAA violations. This includes 26 student athletes across football, baseball, men’s basketball, men’s track and field, and men’s wrestling
In Iowa basketball, former guard Ahron Ulis and student manager Evan Schuster were charged for wagering the most money at $34,800 and $15,800, respectively.
UI placekicker Aaron Blom and former wide receiver Arland Bruce IV reportedly bet over $4,000 before they were 21 years old.
Junior walk-on wide receiver Jack Johnson reportedly placed over 350 bets totaling $1,800 while underage. He reportedly bet on 15 Iowa Athletics events.
Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz, whose team had the most current and former athletes charged, said in the fall that the punishment against his athletes was harsh.
“The guy’s 23 years old,” Ferentz said of defensive lineman Noah Shannon, who was suspended for the season. “He’s given his heart and soul and some body parts to the program too. I just like to think he’d be allowed to finish out his career.”
Several Iowa wrestlers were also charged, including Tony Cassioppi, Nelson Brands, Abe Assad, and Cobe Siebrecht.
Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands commented on the investigation earlier this year during a press conference, stating that “basic liberties were infringed upon” while gathering evidence. The NCAA has rejected multiple appeals to drop charges prior to this update.
“You never know what will happen,” Brands said at a press conference early this year. “Be ready. Cassioppi, be ready. Nelson Brands, be ready. Cobe Siebrecht, be ready.”
Sabine Martin, Jami Martin-Trainor, and Jack Moore contributed to this report.