Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 5, 1990 TAG: 9003052062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Bill Dowdy of the State Bureau of Investigation said Sunday that his agency has been unable to determine the identity of the former player who told ABC News last week that at least three players, including Charles Shackleford, had conspired to shave points on at least four games during the 1987-88 season.
"I don't know who he is and I wish I did," Dowdy said. "At least, I don't know definitely."
A federal grand jury, with subpoena powers and the threat of perjury charges, could join the investigation if the SBI believes such a move is necessary.
"That's a possibility down the line," Dowdy said. "I really think it's too early to speculate whether that would be warranted at this point in time."
Joe Cheshire, a prominent Raleigh defense lawyer, said a grand jury could streamline the investigation.
"If you're a state agent and you're out there investigating a crime and nobody will talk to you, then you can force them to either talk to you or take the Fifth Amendment," Cheshire said, adding that grand juries are empaneled as a matter of course at certain times of the year.
"They can definitely be a fishing expedition," he said. "That has long been one of the arguments against grand juries. But I don't see it happen very often in the federal realm."
Dowdy, citing SBI budget cuts, said other agencies already are cooperating with his agency. Federal authorities have promised to cooperate and "they've been a big help already," Dowdy said. While Dowdy said the FBI has been assisting the SBI, an FBI spokesman said Sunday that the agency at this time is not involved in the N.C. State probe.
Meanwhile, the Denville, N.J., police chief today was expected to turn over to the district attorney's office the results of a four-month investigation involving Shackleford and Robert Kramer, the alleged "mastermind" of the point-shaving scheme.
Shackleford, now with the NBA's New Jersey Nets, has admitted receiving $65,000 in violation of NCAA rules from two men while at N.C. State, but he has denied being involved in point shaving. Kramer also has denied trying to influence games.
While the investigations intensified, the North Carolina State campus swirled with rumors that coach Jim Valvano was ready to step aside.
He coached the Wolfpack on Sunday in their regular-season finale, a 93-91 loss to Wake Forest, while his agent, Arthur Kaminsky, met with school officials to work out a $500,000 buyout clause if the school decides to dismiss Valvano. The clause requires a payoff should either party sever the relationship without "just cause."
Kaminsky said the two sides did not reach an agreement.
"It's up to the university; it's very simple," Kaminsky said. "The university can retain Jim. He'd be happy to stay here - loves the job, loves the school, loves to coach. If they choose not to retain him, they can dismiss him. The contract is very simple, just like anybody else's. It's a five-year contract. If they dismiss him, they pay him the money."
Kaminsky said both sides were looking at options, including keeping Valvano under the contract or dismissing him and buying out the contract.
"We're in discussions," he said. "Everything's amicable."
But George Worsley, vice chancellor for finance and business at N.C. State, said the school could not pay Valvano $500,000.
"It just represents a very difficult problem for the university," Worsley told WRAL-TV in Raleigh. "How are you going to resolve it? I don't know at this point."
"I'm not resigning today," Valvano said Sunday in an interview with CBS-TV before the game. "I'm coaching [against] Wake Forest, and I'm looking forward to coaching the Atlantic Coast Conference [Tournament] next week. As of this point, no one has informed me of any decision by the university."
Valvano has not been implicated in the point-shaving investigation, but he has said he would be willing to step down if university officials determined it was necessary because of continued negative publicity.
William Johnson, a former chairman of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, said he hoped no money would change hands if Valvano stepped down.
"I think if he were to resign, and the $500,000 clause were waived by both parties, I think that would be an appropriate conclusion of the matter," Johnson said.
In the CBS interview, Valvano again denied involvement in the problems with the basketball program and said it would have been impossible to know what his players were doing off the court.
by CNB