A defendant in the University of San Diego sports bribery case was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in scheme that strove to fix college basketball games by paying players to influence their outcomes.
Steven Goria, 33, pleaded guilty in August to sports bribery, part of a larger case that also involved marijuana trafficking and illegal sports gambling, U-T San Diego is reporting.
According to court documents, Goria admitted in his plea agreement that he profited more than $120,000 from the scheme, including a February 2010 game in which San Diego lost a lead late and fell, 72-69, with the Las Vegas line favoring USD by 3.5.
Goria admitted that guard Brandon Johnson was paid to influence the game.
“I would like to apologize on my behalf for what I’ve done,” said Goria, according to the paper. “The last 18 months have been hard on me and my family. … I want to put this all behind me.”
Of 10 total defendants in the San Diego bribery case, six have reached plea agreements and four have been sentenced.
Among the four remaining who have not reached plea deals are Johnson and another former San Diego player, Brandon Dowdy.
Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_