Hunter Dekkers one of 7 ISU, Iowa athletes charged in gambling probe. Here's what we know.
The sports betting investigation centered on athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University has taken a major turn, with Cyclones quarterback Hunter Dekkers right in the middle of it.
The Story County Attorney's Office has filed a criminal complaint against Dekkers, charging him with tampering with records related to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports gambling. The complaint also accuses Dekkers of betting on a Cyclones football game when he was a member of the team (he did not play in the game).
Two other current Iowa State athletes also are charged with tampering with records. Paniro Johnson, a sophomore wrestler, and Dodge Sauser, a sophomore offensive lineman, are both accused of wagering on Iowa State sports. Former Iowa State defensive lineman Enyi Uwazurike is also facing a complaint of tampering with records, and he is accused of placing wagers in two games he played in for the Cyclones in 2021.
Charges also have been brought against three current or former Iowa athletes: former men's basketball player Ahron Ulis, former baseball player Gehrig Christensen and current walk-on kicker Aaron Blom.
More: Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers accused of betting on ISU sports, including football
All of the athletes were charged with tampering with records in an attempt to disguise their identities while placing sports wagers. All are accused of manipulating transactions to create the appearance their bets were placed by other people.
Through his attorney, Mark Weinhardt of The Weinhardt Law Firm, Dekkers said he will plead not guilty to the tampering charge. The statement also said Dekkers will not participate in fall preseason camp practices.
Athletes who place bets on their own teams or on their schools' sporting events face permanent ineligibility, according to NCAA rules. These developments take the story to another level. Here's where things stood as of midday Thursday:
How much did each Iowa State athlete allegedly bet, and what did they bet on, according to the complaints?
Dekkers is accused of placing 26 wagers on Iowa State sporting events, including the 2021 football game against Oklahoma State when he was a sophomore backup quarterback, according to the complaint filed in Iowa District Court for Story County.
The complaint alleges approximately 366 mobile/online sports wagers totaling “over $2,799” completed on the DraftKings account Dekkers controlled.
The account Sauser controlled allegedly had 12 wagers placed on Iowa State football games, including contests last year against Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. In total, Sauser's account wagered $3,075 on DraftKings, according to the complaint. Sauser has never appeared in a Cyclone game, according to the bio on the team website.
Johnson's account tallied wagers totaling $45,640 on approximately 1,283 bets, according to the complaint. The Big 12 Conference champion at 149 pounds last season saw his account place approximately 25 bets on Iowa State events, authorities allege.
The account in Uwazurike's name had wagers placed on Iowa State’s games against Iowa and Kansas in 2021. Uwazurike, now a member of the NFL's Denver Broncos, placed 801 wagers totaling $21,361, according to the complaint.
How much did each Iowa athlete allegedly bet, and what did they bet on, according to the complaints?
Ulis is accused of making approximately 1,850 wagers, more than 740 of which were before Ulis turned 21. Court documents allege Ulis placed more than 430 bets on NCAA football and basketball games, including at least one Iowa football game. The wagers collectively totaled more than $34,800.
Ulis transferred to Nebraska after the 2022-23 season.
Christensen, an ex-Hawkeye catcher and Urbandale product, is accused of tampering with records related to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports gambling. Christensen was one of four Iowa players who missed the final 17 games amid the early stages of the sports-betting investigation.
The Des Moines native is accused of using a DraftKings account to place a total of 559 underage wagers, including approximately 23 wagers on University of Iowa sporting events, totaling more than $2,400, according to a court document filed Tuesday in Johnson County.
After redshirting in 2022, Christensen appeared in 11 games with six starts last season. He hit .214 with two RBIs. Christensen announced his baseball retirement June 8 on Instagram and isn't listed on Iowa's 2024 roster.
Blom is accused of making 170 mobile wagers from Jan. 28, 2021, to Feb. 22, 2022, in Johnson County, totaling more than $4,400. Court documents allege Blom placed wagers while underage on an estimated eight University of Iowa sporting events, including a bet on the point total of the 2021 Iowa vs. Iowa State football game (he did not play in that game).
Blom turned 21, the legal betting age in Iowa, in September 2022.
Did the Iowa State and Iowa football players allegedly bet on any games they played in?
Yes and no.
Dekkers did not play in the 2021 Oklahoma State game while serving as Brock Purdy's backup. On Sauser's official Iowa State athletics website bio, it does not list him appearing in any games during his career. Blom did not appear in the 2021 Cy-Hawk game while serving as Iowa’s backup kicker.
However, Uwazurike played extensively in the two games he's accused of betting on. He had four tackles and one sack in the 2021 Iowa game (a 27-17 Iowa State loss) and six tackles in the Kansas game (a 59-7 Iowa State win).
Despite allegations of players betting on their own teams and schools, Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission stands by earlier statement.
Previously, the Iowa Racing & Gaming Commission said in May it hadn't uncovered any evidence of compromised markets.
Thursday, the IRGC doubled down on that. Here is the full release.
“In light of recent charges filed in the state regarding possible sports wagering violations by student athletes, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) would like to affirm that it does not currently have any information that would call into question the integrity of any sports wagering contest or event involving the University of Iowa or Iowa State University.
“The IRGC has conducted a thorough review of wagering information available within the regulated markets in Iowa, which includes a review of how wagering lines move, number of wagers, size of wagers, types of wagers, the settlement of related wagers, discussions with integrity partners, and discussions with the sportsbooks that conduct business and review markets in other states.
“As the regulatory agency responsible for gambling and wagering laws in the State of Iowa, IRGC administers the laws and rules for gambling and wagering to ensure the integrity of licensees and their operations. Specifically, as part of the IRGC’s responsibilities to regulate sports wagering, the IRGC is always examining wagering activity utilizing information available from integrity monitoring providers, sportsbooks, other regulatory jurisdictions, sports leagues, law enforcement, and the public. The IRGC will be reviewing this matter further to determine if any administrative violations occurred by any licensed operators in Iowa.
“Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation by the Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI), IRGC cannot provide further comment or additional details.”
The NCAA recently updated its gambling guidelines. How do they affect the current Cyclones and Hawkeyes involved?
In short, it's not good for Dekkers, Sauser, Johnson, Blom or Ulis, based on the allegations.
While the NCAA did loosen its regulations to some degree — primarily in cases involving betting on professional sports — it still has a strict policy against athletes betting on their sport or school. Here is what the NCAA says for wagering-related violations reported on or after May 2.
Athletes engaging in activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly providing information to individuals involved in sports betting activities will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. This also applies to student-athletes who wager on their own games or on other sports at their own schools.
If an athlete wagers on their own sport at another school, sports wagering education will be required as a condition of reinstatement, and the loss of 50% of one season of eligibility will be considered.
What's alleged in the criminal complaints places Dekkers, Sauser, Johnson, Blom and Ulis in the first category. As a result, all are at risk of losing their remaining NCAA eligibility.
What are the legal implications involved?
Tampering with records is an aggravated misdemeanor, carrying potential penalties ranging from a deferred judgment to a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison and a fine ranging from $855 to $8,540.
The investigation remains ongoing.
On Wednesday, the Iowa Department of Public Safety released a statement detailing the charges for all seven current or former student-athletes. The statement reads, in part:
"The investigation is ongoing and may result in the filing of additional charges. No further information can be released at this time."
More: A look at Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers' Iowa high school and college football career
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What we know after ISU, Iowa athletes charged in gambling investigation
