A U.S. District Court sentenced three former Toledo football players to probation Tuesday for their role in a decade-old point shaving scandal.
The three players avoided jail time because the men had no other criminal records and the scandal happened a decade ago, judge Mark Goldsmith said.
The players, Adam Cuomo, Harvey “Scooter” McDougle Jr. and Quinton Broussard, agreed to alter their play and offer information about their team to Ghazi "Gary" Manni. The players also accepted money, meals and groceries from Manni.
According to the court records, Cuomo was the first player to approach Manni.
“I’d like to say sorry to (the university),” Cuomo said to the Toledo Blade. “I think about it every day. I felt very responsible for the whole thing. If I had a chance, I'd like to speak with all of (the other players he brought into the plot).
“I spoke to two of them, and it was good to apologize. This has been a burden for too long.”
Broussard received $500 to fumble in the 2005 GMAC Bowl. He tried to get another player involved in the scandal during a 2006 games against Iowa State, but the player declined.
Here's how the punishment was handed down:
— Cuomo: Three years' probation, $3,000 fine, 100 hours of community service
— McDougle: Two years' probation, drug testing, $1,000 fine
— Broussard: One year probation, $1,000 fine, 25 hours of community service
Manni, the mastermind behind the plan, and his gambling partner Mitchell Karam will be sentenced May 26. Both already are jailed in unrelated matters.
Former Toledo basketball players Sammy Villegas and Anton Currie also avoided jail time for the scandal in sentencing last week.