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U of A to conduct investigation into corruption charges against assistant coach

Posted at 8:13 PM, Sep 27, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-28 01:33:51-04

The University of Arizona announced Wednesday that the school will conduct an internal investigation into fraud and corruption charges against assistant coach Emmanuel Richardson. The school also said they have officially begun the process to dismiss Richardson from his position.

A statement from University of Arizona President Robert Robbins says the school will retain an external law firm to conduct the investigation.

"The University of Arizona expects everyone who is part of our campus community to adhere to the highest ethical standards of behavior, Robbins said in a statement. “Arizona Athletics has a strong culture of compliance that begins at the top and extends throughout the organization.”

Richardson is one of four NCAA coaches who has been arrested after being charged with fraud and corruption following a federal investigation that began in 2015.

According to the court document, Richardson was one of four coaches who accepted bribes from undercover FBI agents. Richardson allegedly accepted $20,000 in bribes and used money to influence at least one unnamed basketball player to commit to play for Arizona, according to the document.

University of Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke also released a statement in his weekly "Wildcat Wednesday" newsletter:

"To recap, after we became aware of the allegations, the university initiated a full internal investigation, which remains ongoing. On Tuesday, Richardson was immediately suspended, and then earlier today, the university initiated the dismissal process against him.

I want to reiterate. We pride ourselves on fostering a culture of compliance. We have and will continue to have a positive and productive relationship with the NCAA through our compliance programs. These programs afford us the opportunity to engage with our coaches and student-athletes through a variety of tools, including rules education, monitoring, and regular in-person interaction.

We have not, and will not, tolerate those that operate outside NCAA rules. This is not how we expect our university and this athletics department to be represented, and we assure you that we will continue to prioritize integrity in all that we do."

Stay with ABC15 and abc15.com for the latest on this developing story.