Extortion & Suspensions Hit Louisville
Local reports here in Louisville are saying that Thomas Ray of Jackson, Mississippi, 35, has been arrested and indicted on charges that he tried to extort 3.5 million dollars from the University of Louisville in April 2013. Ray contacted U of L AD Tom Jurich claiming to have evidence tying U of L to point shaving. It is also being reported that Ray has a history of extortion attempts. Jurich has acknowledge that he has heard that Ray was arrested but hasn’t commented further.
Of course, basketball coach Rick Pitino was involved in an extortion attempt a few years ago which lead to his accuser to be found guilty.
I’m not expecting anything to come from this but it is worth keeping an eye on. This news comes a day after U of L announced that Clint Hurt, a former Miami assistant, will remain employed at U of L following the NCAA announcement that he been hit with a two-year show cause penalty. Hurt was demoted last June to defensive line coach and was stript of his associate head coach & recruiting coordinator status. His pay was frozen & he didn’t receive his bonuses. His suspension, which was approved by the NCAA, will run till June of 2014.
Prior to these reports, Rick Pitino announced that junior forward Chane Behannon has been suspended from the basketball team for violations of team and university rules. Pitino has said that Behannon’s return is possible but not probable. Behannon seems confident that he will return to the team in December for the start of the second semester.
The Confidential 