University of Toledo Athletes Get Probation in Point Shaving Scheme

DETROIT (Associated Press) - Two former University of Toledo basketball players have been placed on probation for their role in shaving points for gamblers who bet on games a decade ago.

Sammy Villegas and Anton Currie were sentenced Tuesday in Detroit federal court. They're the first of seven former Rockets who will be sentenced this spring, including three ex-football players.

Villegas and Currie received money from a Detroit-area gambler to manipulate the score of certain Toledo games, especially during the 2005-06 season.

In court, Villegas apologized to the school. Currie says he accepts "full responsibility."

Prosecutors didn't object to probation, although Villegas had faced as much as 30 months in prison under sentencing guidelines.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Helland says the point-shaving scandal was "corrosive" for Toledo.