Point shaving trial Dec 17 date set

DETROIT, Mich. - A Dec. 17 trail date in U.S. District Court in Detroit has been set for the six former University of Toledo student-athletes and two Metro Detroit businessmen allegedly involved in a point shaving scandal between 2004-06.

Federal prosecutors indicted Adam Cuomo, 31, Keith Triplett, 29, Anton Currie, 25, Kashif Payne, 24, Harvey "Scooter" McDougle, 24, and Quinton Broussard, 25, along with 52-year-old Ghazi Manni of Sterling Heights, Mich., and 76-year-old Mitchell Karam of Troy, Mich.

A 20-count federal indictment filed May 6 outlines a detailed point-shaving scheme and conspiracy to commit sports bribery over a two year period.

If convicted, the six former Rocket student-athletes, who either played football or men's basketball for the University of Toledo earlier this decade, could each face up to five years behind bars and $250,000 in fines.

All of the defendants entered not guilty pleas during separate appearances in federal court in Detroit since the indictments were handed down.

On June 17 federal authorities pushed back Sammy Villegas' sentencing date, a seventh former UT student-athlete involved in the alleged point shaving and bribery scheme.

Villegas, who played men's basketball, will now be sentenced Nov. 30 in federal court in Detroit

Over the past 11 months federal officials have pushed back his sentencing date four times - November 2008, March 26, June 18, and now Nov. 30.

Villegas was charged in a point-shaving scheme that FOX Toledo News first uncovered in August 2008.

Federal prosecutors charged Villegas of felony conspiracy to influence a sporting contest by bribery.