A federal judge is allowing former UA assistant basketball coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson to travel to the NBA draft combine to network and search for a job.
Richardson’s attorney, Craig Mordock, filed the motion earlier this week. The combine runs from May 16-20 in Chicago.
“Several of his professional contacts have recommended that he attend the combine as a way of networking and seeing if there are employment opportunities for him,” the motion says.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Pre-Trial Services made no objection to Richardson’s request. Richardson was suspended with pay after his Sept. 26 arrest and formally fired Jan. 11. He made $250,000 annually.
Richardson was indicted in September following a widespread federal investigation into college basketball. He is accused of taking $20,000 in bribes last summer and using at least some of it to pay a recruit to commit to Arizona.
Three other assistant coaches — USC’s Tony Bland, Auburn’s Chuck Person and Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans — were also implicated in the pay-for-play scandal.
If convicted on all charges, Richardson — who was Sean Miller’s longest-tenured assistant at the time of his arrest — could face up to 60 years in prison and $1.5 million in fines.
Richardson is out of jail on a $50,000 bond. Per the conditions of his release, he is allowed to travel to New York, where his trial is taking place, and Louisiana, where Mordock’s office is located.
The motion is the latest step in a court case that could take years to sort out.
In February, U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos tightened a protective order for information in the case after several news reports used information that the government says could have only come from a person involved in the case.
The resulting order is designed to prevent further leaks.
