On June 20, an FBI wiretap records a June conversation between Dawkins and Richardson in which the two discuss a high school basketball player that Richardson was going to pay to come play for the UA, the complaint says.
Dawkins tells Richardson that the group is prepared to pay him $5,000 or more per month, and that Richardson could “funnel part of the bribe money” to pay the prospective player, saying “it’s multiple ways to skin a cat,” the complaint says.
Dawkins makes reference to one basketball player at UA who had already received payments, saying “we got no expenses there,” according to the complaint.
Later that day, Richardson and Sood meet in New York with the undercover officers and confidential witness, during which one of the undercover officers tells Richardson that their goal was “to get new kids that we can sign long term” and that they are willing to pay coaches to direct players to retain their services, the complaint says.
Richardson promises to steer a current UA player toward Dawkins, saying that he had already talked to the player’s mom and cousin, according to the complaint.
Richardson tells the group that he is happy to direct players toward Dawkins and Sood, saying that he had “tried to do this a certain way, and my model doesn’t work,” the complaint says.
“At the end of the day these kids, and they are kids, my job is to try to put them in the best possible situation so everyone can be solid (and) make as much money as possible,” Richardson tells the group during a recorded conversation.
At the end of the meeting, Richardson takes $5,000 in cash in exchange for his agreeing to direct certain UA basketball players to hire Dawkins when they joined the NBA, the complaint says.
