Brian Bowen II launches federal lawsuit against racketeering against Adidas

Brian Bowen II, the former five-star candidate at the center of an FBI investigation into university basketball corruption, on Monday lodged a federal lawsuit against racketeering against Adidas.

The lawsuit alleges that Adidas and its associates engaged in bribery, fraud and money laundering to the detriment of Bowen's eligibility and athletic development.

The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in South Carolina by the McLeod Law Group, includes Adidas' associates James Gatto, Code Merl, Christian Dawkins, Munish Sood and Thomas "T.J.". Gassnola and Christopher Rivers. Gatto, Code and Dawkins were defended at the FBI trial in October, while Sood and Gassnola were called as witnesses after pleading guilty earlier this year.

"Adidas has so far infiltrated college basketball with impunity," said lead counsel Mullins McLeod. "The time has come for them to answer for what they have done and to suffer the consequences of their business behavior." Brian is an exceptional young man who is determined to right the situation and do his part to help other student athletes to free themselves from business – a corruption that has no place in university basketball ".

Bowen enlisted in Louisville in June 2017, but he never played for the Cardinals after the FBI announced his investigation in September 2017. Brian Bowen Sr., accused of agreeing to Paying $ 100,000 by Adidas to send his son to Louisville, said in federal court in October that he had received thousands of dollars from Gassnola, Dawkins and Rivers to participate in Adidas-affiliated grassroots programs. He and Sood also testified that Bowen Sr. received $ 19,400 in cash as the first of four payments to allow Bowen II to travel to Louisville.

Bowen II was held out of competition in Louisville and was transferred to South Carolina, but signed a professional contract in Australia in August.

Bowen II always asserted that he was unaware of his father's maneuvers, and Monday morning's announcement indicated that the deals were "unknown to Brian."

"I've always thought that Brian was the real victim of everything that happened with Adidas," said attorney Jason A. Setchen, who represented Bowen II in his affair with the NCAA . "I've always thought that Brian was the real victim of everything that happened with Adidas." Brian was badly damaged by the acts of others and treated unfairly. McLeod's right has undertaken to pursue justice on behalf of Brian, I look forward to working with them to ensure that Brian is finally in court. "