Auburn receives federal subpoena in FBI's NCAA basketball investigation

Auburn assistant coach Chuck Person talks with Auburn forward Anfernee McLemore (24) Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, during an NCAA basketball game at Auburn Arena in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Auburn confirmed it has received a federal grand jury subpoena in regards to the ongoing FBI investigation into corruption in NCAA basketball.

The school responded to a Freedom of Information Act request by AL.com on Thursday confirming that it had received a subpoena from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in the wake of the arrest of associate head basketball coach Chuck Person on Sept. 26 as part of the FBI's investigation into college hoops.

"Generally federal grand jury subpoenas are sent with the understanding that they will be treated confidentially both as to whether receiver or as to content so as to avoid interfering with or impeding the investigation," a university spokesman said in a statement to AL.com. "Auburn had pledged full cooperation with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. Given it is already known that at least one other institution received a subpoena we confirm we did too but will otherwise honor the pledge by not producing the content while the investigation is ongoing."

On Wednesday, The Oklahoman reported that Oklahoma State also received a federal grand jury subpoena as it relates to the investigation. Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans was among the 10 people, including four coaches, arrested on Sept. 26 as part of the FBI's investigation.

According to The Oklahoman, the subpoena received in Stillwater asked for any and all documents and communications pertaining to "actual or potential NCAA rules violations" by players and coaches of the men's basketball team."

Evans and Person were among four coaches arrested last month as part of the then-covert operation by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Person, who has since been suspended by Auburn indefinitely and without pay, is facing six federal charges including bribery and conspiracy. He appeared in court in New York on Tuesday for a formal arraignment hearing and was released on $100,000 bond.

Person is alleged to have accepted $91,500 in bribes over a 10-month period in exchange for steering a pair of unnamed Auburn basketball players to a crooked financial adviser who, unbeknownst to Person, was a cooperating federal witness. Auburn president Steven Leath told AL.com on Sept. 29 that the university has a "pretty good indication" of who the two players referenced in the federal complaint against Person are, but he declined to identify them.

If found guilty of all six counts, Person faces a maximum statutory sentence of 80 years in prison.

AL.com will update this post.

James Crepea contributed to this report.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.