Officials at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation lied to their own agents to push forward a controversial investigation into allegations of online gambling by University of Iowa and Iowa State University student athletes, a new court filing alleges.
The filing was made in the case of Iowa State wrestler Paniro Johnson , one of two dozen athletes and student managers to face charges in the probe, which in addition to criminal charges has led to NCAA investigations and penalties. Johnson is charged with tampering with records and felony identity theft.
The investigation and charges have drawn criticism, including from the state’s then-top gambling regulator, who told a parent that “a lot of people don’t agree with how things were handled .”
Tuesday’s motion by Johnson’s defense attorney, Christopher Sandy, seeks records about possible misconduct by the investigators. According to Sandy, one of the agents involved early in the case has claimed he was misled by his superiors about the purpose and target of the investigation, and has subsequently refused to participate in the case.