Lang
1/31/24
The Iowa Department of Public Safety has issued a statement defending its methods in the recent sports gambling investigation involving student-athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University.
Earlier this month an agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, a division of the DPS, claimed in court documents that he and other agents were told by their superiors that the target of the investigation was the companies running gambling apps, not the student-athletes who were accused of using them. As a result, DCI agents reportedly told the accused that there would be no consequences against them for being honest about their online gambling habits.
Lawyers for two Cyclone football players also claim special agent Brian Sanger used a device to scan the active cellphones inside a freshman and sophomore dormitory and an athletic facility at the UI to see if anyone was using gambling apps. Sanger allegedly did so without a warrant and without receiving any tips or orders from his superiors.
A statement released by the DPS on Wednesday claims the agency first conferred with legal counsel to ensure lawful access to and use of the phone-scanning technology. The DPS says two county attorney’s offices also approved filing charges. The DPS ended its news release with the following statement, “We believe the evidence was obtained in a constitutionally permissible manner. Ultimately it is up to the courts to decide.”
The DPS says it normally does not comment on ongoing investigations. The investigation led to multiple student-athletes being suspended.