Prosecutors have agreed to drop gambling charges against four former Iowa State University student athletes, citing investigators’ potentially inappropriate use of software for tracking use of betting apps.
Assistant Story County Attorney Benjamin Matchan in a motion filed Friday asked a judge to drop charges against Eyioma Uwazurike, Jirehl Brock, Paniro Johnson and Isaiah Lee. Matchan wrote that is office does not want to prosecute the case after attorneys for the defendants released an email this week from GeoComply, the maker of the software, to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission accusing the DCI of using its software inappropriately.
GeoComply gave the DCI access to the program, Kibana, in 2022, allowing agents to see anonymized information about where users of sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel placed bets from. According to a previous motion from defense attorneys, DCI Special Agent Brian Sanger used the software without a warrant to track bets at University of Iowa athletic buildings, leading to the charges against the players.
Matchan said he contacted GeoComply this week to learn more about its decision to strip the DCI of the software, but has not heard back. Spokespeople for the DCI and GeoComply did not respond to the Des Moines Register’s emails seeking comment earlier this week.
“The State no longer believes further prosecution in this matter is in the interests of justice,” Matchan wrote in his motion Friday.
Brock is a former Iowa State running back, while Lee played defensive line. Johnson is a former Iowa State wrestler. Uwazurike played defensive end for the school before the Denver Broncos drafted him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
The NFL suspended Uwazurike last year because of the gambling investigation.
Tyler Jett is an investigative reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at [email protected], 515-284-8215, or on Twitter at @LetsJett. He also accepts encrypted messages at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Former Iowa State athletes no longer charged in gambling investigation