In a recent court filing in Story County, a veteran agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) has alleged that illegal searches were conducted during an investigation into gambling by student-athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. The agent, Special Agent Mark Ludwick, stated that he had asked to be removed from the investigation after discovering that his superior had misrepresented the purpose of the investigation.

The investigation, which led to charges against fifteen student-athletes in the summer of 2023, initially focused on allegations of underage gambling. Nine students were charged with Underage Gambling and six others were charged with Identity Theft and Tampering With Court Records for allegedly using accounts registered to someone else to place bets.

However, the DCI later admitted that the actions of the student-athletes were not criminal, likening them to sharing a Netflix account. This prompted several athletes and their attorneys to question the motive behind the investigation and turn the tables on the DCI.

In a court filing on Monday, an attorney for former Iowa State University football player Eyioma Uwazurike accused DCI Agent Brian Sanger of placing a "warrantless GeoFence" on a University of Iowa dormitory, potentially violating the Constitutional rights of the students involved. The accusations were further escalated in a separate filing by an attorney representing another former Cyclone.

According to Ludwick's interview details in the court document, his supervisor, Special Agent in Charge Troy Nelson, informed him that the investigation targeted gaming operators such as FanDuel and DraftKings, rather than the athletes themselves. However, Ludwick alleges that after obtaining a confession from one of the student-athletes, he realized that he had been deceived by Agent Nelson. Consequently, Ludwick requested reassignment from the investigation.

Ludwick further claimed that the DCI conducted illegal searches of personal online account information belonging to Paniro Johnson and several others. The investigation began without obtaining a warrant for GeoFence data, and the agents allegedly lacked reasonable suspicion to carry out such searches. Ludwick revealed that there are other DCI agents who also share his beliefs about the investigation and have refused to participate in it.

The Division of Criminal Investigation refused to comment on ongoing court proceedings, stating that it would be inappropriate to do so as the agents involved in the case may still serve as witnesses.

The attorneys representing Uwazurike and Johnson are now seeking to compel the state of Iowa to release more information about the investigation following their recent interviews with DCI agents.

As the controversy surrounding the student-athlete gambling investigation deepens, further developments are expected as the legal proceedings continue.