Ed Martin forced to tell all in agreement

n Martin and his son to appear in court in the next two weeks

By Mark Francescutti

Daily Sports Editor

Banned men's basketball booster Ed Martin and his son Charles will now officially have to divulge all details about his dealings with Michigan basketball players as part of a plea bargain with the U.S. District Attorney's Office.

University General Counsel Marvin Krislov said Martin it will most likely be a few months before Martin will have to talk.

"These things take time," Krislov said.

On Friday Martin and his son were each charged on one count of running an illegal gambling ring and one count of income tax evasion.

Martin and his son will appear in court within the next few weeks to officially acknowledge the plea agreement and then admit to their wrongdoings.

Krislov said at that time a sentencing evaluation period will commence, in which at some point the U.S. Attorney's Office will contact the University to set up a meeting between the three parties.

"We have learned that plea agreements were filed (Friday) in federal court involving cases brought against Ed Martin and his son," Krislov said in a written statement. "The specific charges before the court have nothing to do with the University. We understand, however, that as a condition of these plea agreements, Mr. Martin and his son are required to speak with the University about matters relating to our basketball program. When the United States Attorney's Office indicates it is appropriate, we will interview Mr. Martin and his son."

Michigan will have to report the findings of the tell-all session to the NCAA, which may place additional sanctions or violations on the basketball program.

The NCAA has a four-year statute of limitations on such cases, but The Ann Arbor News reported last year that Martin gave former Michigan guard Louis Bullock about $50,000 into his senior year of 1998.

In March 1997 the University disclosed two NCAA violations the team incurred through contact with Martin.

The case took another turn in the Spring of 1999 when the FBI raided Martin's residence while conducting an investigation of his alleged involvement in a gambling numbers operation. The bureau uncovered evidence linking him to at least five former Michigan basketball players. Bollinger said last May that evidence suggested several past players had taken cash payments from Martin while playing at Michigan.

But one issue that remains unclear in the minds of many is the University's relationship with the federal investigation of Martin.

Because the Internal Revenue Service has been involved in the matter, one possible point of interest for federal authorities may be the unreported income by former players via Martin.

After the raid, the FBI issued subpoenas for former players Bullock, Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor, Jalen Rose and Chris Webber to appear in front of a federal grand jury. That testimony has not been released to the public.

"We don't know what Mr. Martin and his son will say, but we look forward to talking to them and following up accordingly," interim Athletic Director Bill Martin said. "It is our ongoing mission to ensure the highest standards of excellence and we are committed to doing everything possible to achieve those standards."

University President Lee Bollinger could not be reached for comment, but said in a statement released after the plea bargain was announced that the University is "fully committed to finding out the truth about what may have happened and to uphold to the highest standards and values in our athletics program."