Judge Denies Motion to Dismiss Charges in Adidas Corruption Probe

A U.S. District Court Judge denied a motion Thursday to dismiss federal charges against former Adidas executives James Gatto and Merl Code as well as agent Christian Dawkins for their alleged role in widespread college basketball corruption discovered by the FBI. 

Mark Schlabach of ESPN.com noted Judge Lewis A. Kaplan refused to drop the charges—each defendant faces a felony count of wire fraud—after their attorneys argued there wasn't enough evidence to support going to trial for a federal crime.

Gatto, Code and Dawkins are three of 10 individuals charged in relation to the case.

Four college basketball assistant coaches—Lamont Evans (Oklahoma State), Chuck Person (Auburn), Emanuel Richardson (Arizona) and Tony Bland (USC)—were also arrested following the investigation, per Shachar Peled of CNN.

Acting U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim called the alleged actions the "dark underbelly of college basketball."

"All of those charged today contributed to a pay-to-play culture that has no business in college basketball," FBI New York division assistant director Bill Sweeney said during the September announcement.

Bland's lawyer, Jeffrey Einhorn, told Schlabach the charges are unwarranted.

"It's not surprising to me that the case has issues because it should have never been brought," he said. "Everything about this case stinks."

Schlabach added the case could "result in potential NCAA violations for as many as three dozen Division I programs," regardless of the outcomes in the legal system.

The trial involving Gatto, Code and Dawkins is set to begin Oct. 1.