Former Hawkeye Ahron Ulis allegedly placed almost 2,000 sports wagers, including at least one on Iowa sporting event
John Steppe IOWA CITY — Former University of Iowa basketball player Ahron Ulis faces a tampering with records charge amid the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s probe into sports gambling at Iowa and Iowa State. Ulis, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Johnson County Attorney’s Office Tuesday, allegedly used his older brother’s information to disguise “approximately 1,850” sports wagers. “Over 740” of the 1,850 bets were placed before Ulis turned 21, the legal betting age in Iowa, according to the court document.
The alleged wagers totaled “over $34,800. ” The complaint alleges at least one wager was on an Iowa sporting event, and “over 430” were on NCAA-sanctioned football and basketball games. An athlete who bets on their own school “will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports,” according to updated NCAA guidelines on reinstatement of sports wagering violations.
⧉ Related Article: NCAA updates sports wagering penalties as Iowa, ISU investigations linger Had an athlete placed bets on NCAA-sanctioned sports, but not their own school’s teams, the guidelines state an athlete would lose half a season of eligibility. Ulis transferred to Big Ten Conference foe Nebraska earlier this year. He started in 27 of Iowa’s 33 games in 2022-23 and averaged 6.
1 points per game in 22. 6 minutes. Nebraska released a statement Wednesday saying its administration was “made aware this summer about a potential issue” regarding Ulis’ eligibility.
“Since that time, we have been in communication with the NCAA regarding this matter and Ahron is not participating with the team on its trip to Spain,” the Nebraska athletic department said in the statement. The complaint says the wagers in question were “routinely and consistently” placed from Ulis’ phone at locations that included “his university residence and areas of the university not routinely open to the public. ” Ulis is one of three current or former Iowa athletes to face charges so far for tampering with records — an aggravated misdemeanor in the state of Iowa.
Former Iowa baseball player Gehrig Christensen and current Iowa football player Aaron Blom face similar charges. Three current Iowa State athletes and one former Iowa State also face tampering with records charges as a result of the Iowa DCI’s sports gambling investigation. The Iowa Department of Public Safety, which oversees the Iowa DCI, said in a statement Wednesday that the probe “is ongoing and may result in the filing of additional charges.
” “No further information can be released at this time,” the DPI said in the statement. .