IOWA CITY, Iowa — Anger and frustration are the raw emotions coming from the Iowa and Iowa State men’s wrestling programs after a pair of court filings detailed how the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation obtained gambling information from athletes at both campuses.

In a discovery motion filed Monday by attorney Van Plumb, who represents former Iowa State football player Isaiah Lee, DCI special agents testified under oath they applied a warrantless GeoFence while using AI technology around athletics facilities at Iowa and Iowa State. Last summer, 14 athletes were charged with gambling-related offenses, all of whom received NCAA suspensions.

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Attorney claims ‘warrantless search’ led to Iowa, ISU gambling probe

On Tuesday, attorney Christopher Sandy, who represents former ISU wrestler Pinero Johnson, provided detailed and explosive testimony from DCI special agent Mark Ludwick taken during a deposition on Jan. 19 and filed Tuesday. Ludwick interviewed Lee on May 2 and, according to a discovery motion, he “reassured Mr. Lee that the focus of DCI’s investigation was solely on online gaming operators and that no adverse or criminal consequence would be forthcoming.” Lee then discussed his gambling activities with Ludwick. After Ludwick told DCI special agent in charge Troy Nelson about the interview, Nelson allegedly congratulated Ludwick for “obtaining a confession.” Lee has pleaded not guilty to an aggravated misdemeanor and his trial is set for March 5.

“Special Agent Ludwick realized the purpose of the investigation was criminal in nature, with the sole targets being male Division I student athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University,” Sandy wrote in his motion based on Ludwick’s deposition. “Special Agent Ludwick advised his superiors that he would no longer participate in the investigation and requested reassignment.”

Ludwick, a 25-year veteran with DCI, “concluded that DCI conducted an illegal search of Iowa student athletes and dozens of others’ personal online account information because the agency did not obtain a GeoFence Warrant as well as lacked reasonable, articulable suspicion to conduct such a search,” the filing says.

At Iowa, 111 students, including 41 athletes, were targeted in the DCI probe. At Iowa State, 26 athletes faced gambling allegations. All of the athletes were declared ineligible while appeals went to the NCAA. A few were reinstated but many lost a year of eligibility, and the wrestling programs at both schools were among those hit the hardest.

At Iowa, starting lineup wrestlers Cobe Siebrecht, Nelson Brands, Abe Assad, and Tony Cassioppi all were suspended for the season but none were charged. At Iowa State, Johnson was suspended and other wrestlers have faced varying penalties. Both Iowa coach Tom Brands and Iowa State’s Kevin Dresser have spoken openly and angrily in the past about the gambling investigation and that continued this week.

“Probably the way that it’s described and whatever basic liberties were infringed upon, shouldn’t happen in this country,” Brands said Wednesday. “It shouldn’t happen in the state of Iowa.”

All of the information has come out in court filings during depositions under oath. That didn’t stop Brands from venting at journalists for not uncovering more of the case’s facts before the agents’ testimony.

“You want a big story now. Where was the urgency to find out the truth when this thing went down and it didn’t make sense?” Brands said. “That’s what I would say to everybody in this room. Where was the urgency? Now it comes out, now you want the reaction. And I’ll just be a real patient guy, and we’ll see what comes of it.”

Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands’ reaction to recent court filings. pic.twitter.com/5PevgYQccS

— Scott Dochterman (@ScottDochterman) January 24, 2024

Dresser told reporters in Ames on Tuesday that he had to “bite my tongue for a long time (and) I’ve almost chewed it off” when it came to the investigation. During the summer, Dresser called it a “witch hunt” and then was asked by the Iowa State administration to tone down the rhetoric.

“I’m glad it’s coming to light now,” Dresser told reporters. “I hope all of these athletes at Iowa and Iowa State take the state of Iowa to the cleaners. I hope they do. I think these athletes served penalties, really harsh penalties in the NCAA world, probably harsher than I think they should have. But at the same time, I’m not dismissing or minimizing that they made a mistake per the NCAA rules in the gambling space.

“But the way that the process went, they didn’t have any rights. And being a student-athlete right now, unfortunately, you’re proven guilty 99.9 percent of the time, and then you have to prove your innocence. It’s really hard to be a Division I athlete right now.”

Iowa 133-pound wrestler Cullan Schriever served an early-season NCAA suspension for gambling but was not charged in the probe. His focus is now on his sport.

“Obviously, I’ve seen it (the court filings), but I’m not really paying much attention to it,” Schriever said. “I served my time. I did whatever. And now I’m getting ready to wrestle.”

Dresser, a former NCAA champion wrestler at Iowa, wants justice for athletes at both schools.

“I’m trying to be really politically correct here,” he said, “but there’s people in Des Moines that need to answer some questions. And if they’re going to try to pin it on one guy, I don’t know if I believe that. I think that more people need to take responsibility for that. But I’m glad that it came to light. I’m glad these kids are going to get some justice. And there’s going to be some checks written, probably big checks.”

(Photo of Tom Brands: Scott Dochterman / The Athletic)