Connect with us

Latest

Ex-Fordham basketball players permanently banned by NCAA over alleged game manipulation betting scheme

Published

on

Another betting scandal in sports has surfaced, this time involving two Fordham Rams men’s basketball players.

Two former players were ruled permanently ineligible to participate in NCAA play after the governing body found them in violation of potential game manipulation for sports betting.

The NCAA announced Tuesday that Elijah Gray and Will Richardson allegedly are connected to a known bettor who was indicted on fraud and bribery charges.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Gray and Richardson are both no longer a part of the Rams’ basketball program.

It was a third party from another sports betting investigation that had overheard Gray, Richardson and another student-athlete discussing throwing a game for money.

“The NCAA enforcement staff contacted state gaming regulators to identify bets placed by the known bettor. The Mississippi Gaming Commission noted that a $10,000 bet had been placed on a February 2024 game involving Fordham, where the individual bet that Fordham’s opponent would win,” the NCAA wrote in its statement

“Enforcement staff reviewed the Fordham men’s basketball roster for that season and identified three individuals who were connected to the known bettor on social media, including Gray and Richardson.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACHES PUNISHED FOR $100K BETTING SCANDAL, WAGERING ON OWN SCHOOL

Gray said he and Richardson exchanged messages with Antonio Blakeney, an ex-NBA player, and the known bettor who were involved in the scheme.

Gray added that both players agreed to lose the game in exchange for $10,000 to $15,000 in payments each. Gray said, though, that he reconsidered the deal and gave his normal effort, and Fordham ended up winning the game.

Richardson, meanwhile, did not cooperate with NCAA investigators. He denied being a part of calls with Gray and the known bettor during a September 2025 interview.

Gray said Richardson continued to communicate with Blakeney after that game Fordham ended up winning and said he saw screenshots of messages, though he didn’t recall what they said.

Richardson denied participating in the scheme in a subsequent interview in October 2025, while also denying communication with the known bettor and Blakeney. He also denied telling Gray about his enforcement interview despite Gray saying the opposite occurred.

“Phone records also indicate that, after the October interview, Richardson again contacted another student-athlete who had not yet been interviewed by the enforcement staff,” the NCAA’s statement added.

Gray agreed he violated ethical conduct rules by providing information to a known bettor, but he did maintain that he did not follow through with the scheme. The NCAA said Gray “expressed remorse for his actions.”

Gray’s and Richardson’s violations are considered Level 1 of the ethical conduct rules.

Gray averaged 8.2 points in 32 games during his sophomore season with the Rams in 2024. Richardson averaged 9.8 points per game in 27.1 minutes.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Continue Reading

Latest

Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Bombarded With Scandal Questions In Airport Video After Allegedly Cheating With Dianna Russini

Published

on

Vrabel’s visit to Utah didn’t last long as he returned Monday to New England
Continue Reading

Latest

Illegal immigrant accused of killing newlywed couple in Oregon crash arrested by ICE after jail release

Published

on

An illegal immigrant from India accused of causing a crash that killed a newlywed couple in Oregon has been arrested by federal immigration authorities after being released from jail, officials said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Tuesday that Rajinder Kumar, 32, was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after being released by what the agency called “Oregon sanctuary politicians.”

Kumar allegedly jackknifed his semi-truck and trailer, blocking both lanes of U.S. Highway 20 in Deschutes County on Nov. 24, according to Fox 12 Oregon.

A Subaru Outback then collided with the truck, killing driver William Micah Carter and passenger Jennifer Lynn Lower, DHS said. The couple had been married for just 16 days.

SUSPECT ACCUSED OF CAUSING MASSIVE FATAL PILEUP WAS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO OBTAINED CDL IN NEW YORK: FEDS

DHS said Oregon officials declined to cooperate with ICE and released Kumar on April 2. ICE agents arrested him April 22 and he is now being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma pending deportation proceedings.

Kumar has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and reckless endangerment, DHS said.

According to DHS, Kumar entered the U.S. illegally near Lukeville, Arizona, in November 2022 and was later released into the country by the Biden administration. He was granted work authorization in 2023 and obtained a commercial driver’s license in California.

NEWSOM OFFICE DISMISSES CRIME FEARS, DEFENDS SANCTUARY POLICIES AMID SURGE IN VIOLENCE: ‘FAKE NEWS’

Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration for issuing the license.

“This illegal alien was issued a CDL by Gavin Newsom’s California,” Bis said in a statement. “He then went on to recklessly drive a truck on America’s highways and KILL two honeymooners.”

“Instead of cooperating with ICE law enforcement, Oregon sanctuary politicians RELEASED him from jail back into American communities,” she added.

ILLEGAL MIGRANT WITH DUI RAP SHEET FACING VEHICULAR HOMICIDE CHARGES AFTER HEAD-ON CRASH KILLS MOM, DAUGHTER

Bis said sanctuary policies endanger public safety.

“Every time sanctuary politicians release a dangerous criminal illegal alien back into our communities, they are gambling with American lives,” Bis added. “We are grateful to our ICE law enforcement officers who tracked this killer down to ensure he’s permanently removed from America’s highways and can never harm another American family again.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment and DHS for clarification on Oregon officials’ level of cooperation.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Latest

MLB says umpires may have made mistake in foul ball saga during ninth inning of Padres-Cubs game

Published

on

Major League Baseball made the rare decision on Tuesday afternoon to address a controversial call in the game between the San Diego Padres and Chicago Cubs on Monday night. 

Padres closer Mason Miller, who’s been all but unhittable to start the 2026 regular season, entered the game with his team leading 9-5. On a 1-1 count, Cubs infielder Matt Shaw hit a weak dribbler down the third base line that teetered on the edge of fair or foul. 

SAN DIEGO PADRES CLOSER MASON MILLER IS AN INSANE HUMAN CHEAT CODE DESTROYING MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Padres third baseman Ty France tried to wait for the ball to roll into foul territory, which it appeared, at least from the camera angles, to do. While one portion hovered over the foul line, most of the ball appeared to be in foul territory. But home plate umpire Dan Merzel, who was right on top of the play, called it fair.

Petco Park fans, and Padres manager Craig Stammen, were not happy. And Major League Baseball addressed those concerns, admitting an error was made. 

Major League Baseball appears to say umpires got the controversial call wrong

The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, who covers the Padres, contacted the league office for an explanation of the call on the field. And the league’s response seems to contradict how Merzel ruled.

Lin said that the league pointed him to its Umpire Manual, which says that a ball must be “in contact” with fair territory to not be considered foul.

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

“When in contact with the ground, a ball must be in contact with fair territory and not merely over fair territory in order to be adjudged to be fair.”

While stopping short of saying that the call was a complete mistake, that response does seem to indicate that the league disagreed with the call on the field. And it’s a tough one to judge exclusively from camera angles. Cameras have a different perspective than the umpire on the ground, who couldn’t have been in a better position. Many comments on social media felt that the ruling was consistent with the league’s official rules, as well as precedent set by similar plays and calls.

For his part, France thought it went foul, telling reporters after the game, “It stopped rolling, and I thought it was foul, but they said otherwise.”

Shaw wound up coming in to score, ending Miller’s 34 ⅔ inning long scoreless streak, but after a brief rally, Miller and the Padres held on to win 9-7. Miller was short and to the point with his response to it, “Padres win,” he said. “That’s what matters at the end of the day.”

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2026 Political Signal