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Former USC coach Bland avoids prison after bribery convictions

Defendants Appear In Court Amid Charges Of NCAA Basketball Fraud And Corruption

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 10: Anthony Bland exits the Federal Courthouse in Manhattan on October 10, 2017 in New York City. Several people associated with NCAA Basketball have been charged as part of a corruption ring. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

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Former USC assistant coach Tony Bland will not serve any jail time after pleading guilty to bribery conspiracy.

On January 2nd, Bland admitted accepting a $4,100 bribe in exchange for attempting to steer his former players to the Christian Dawkins’, a former runner for an NBA agent that was trying to break into the business of financially advising athletes.

According to the Associated Press, prosecutors wanted Bland to serve up to a year in prison for his role in the scandal that rocked the sport of college basketball. Instead, he will receive two years probation and 100 hours of community service.

Bland was the first of the four assistant coaches that were charged in the investigation to plead guilty, and he is the first that has been sentenced. Former Arizona assistant Book Richardson will be sentenced tomorrow, former Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans will be sentenced on fro and former Auburn assistant Chuck Person will be sentenced later this summer; his plea deal came in response to a separate set of charges.

In March, Dawkins was sentenced to nine months in prison during the first trial, while former Adidas executives Jim Gatto and Merl Code were both sentenced to six months in prison.