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A former UTEP student who graduated from the school with a finance degree in 2015 entered into a guilty plea Friday to a charge stemming from an illegal bookmaking operation that accepted wagers from three Miner men’s basketball players.
Michael Karpus, 26, of Tarzana, Calif., pleaded guilty to one count of misprision of felony before U.S. Magistrate Anne Berton of El Paso.
University of Texas at El Paso basketball players McKenzie Moore, Jalen Ragland and Justin Crosgile were kicked off the team in January of 2014 following the allegations.
Karpus reportedly told one of the players that he would gamble $20,000 to $30,000 on the attempted fixed games.
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FBI officials heaped praise upon UTEP for stepping forward with information pertaining to the illegal bookmaking operation, noting the reluctance of some programs in the past to do so.
“In a misguided effort to continue winning, generate revenue, and protect their reputation, some athletic programs and organizations attempt to cover up, downplay, or minimize allegations of criminal activity, whether that be illegal gambling, drug trafficking, or sexual abuse allegations," said Douglas Lindquist, the FBI special agent in charge in El Paso.
"Any college athlete betting on a sporting event, especially his own sport, likely will find himself on a slippery slope to gambling debt, blackmail, and point shaving," the FBI said in a news release after Karpus' hearing. "Hopefully, this investigation will serve as a reminder of the dangers of engaging in illegal gambling, whether that means facing potential criminal penalties, loss of athletic eligibility, or damage to one’s reputation and future career."
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
