Guilty pleas roll in as Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers and four others admit to underage gambling
Hunter Dekkers and four other athletes were implicated in the state of Iowa's sports wagering probe. The investigation into underage gambling within the ranks of Iowa State and Iowa athletes has shed light on the extent of the issue among college athletes.
Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers, offensive linemen Jake Remsburg and Dodge Sauser, kicker Aaron Blom and Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen have pled guilty to underage gambling as a part of a sports wagering scandal.
They were originally charged with tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. The reduced charge of underage gambling comes with a fine of $645 rather than imprisonment.
The lawyer who represented the three members of Iowa State football released a statement that read:
"The original records tampering charge against these young men never fit this case, either legally or factually. Hunter, Jake, and Dodge are not and never were guilty of that charge. The charge has nothing to do with gambling. Other than the fact that Hunter, Jake, and Dodge placed some bets before they turned 21, nothing about those bets is a crime under Iowa law."
Exploring the allegations in the Hunter Dekkers case
Quarterback Hunter Dekkers had a significant flight in his early football career. He served as a backup quarterback for Brock Purdy in his redshirt freshman season. He managed to complete 20 out of 36 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
However, his journey took an unexpected turn in August 2023.
The legal repercussions for the five individuals will not include additional criminal punishments as per the terms of their guilty plea. In the plea, Hunter Dekkers admitted to using his mother's name for sports betting activities. The bets amounted to over $2,700 in wagers across more than 250 bets.
The bets included wagers on the Iowa State Cyclones while he was an active member. He faced accusations of placing 26 bets on the Cyclones, as mentioned in the complaint filed in Story County.
The complaint provided additional insights revealing the Dekkers' Draftkings account was responsible for 366 mobile/online sports wagers, totaling a sum of "over $2,799."
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