Ed Martin agrees to sign plea bargain

From staff and wire reports

Banned Michigan basketball booster Ed Martin has agreed to tell all about his relationship with former Michigan players, according to a report today in the Detroit Free Press.

In exchange for reduced guilty pleas to gambling and tax evasion charges, the former Ford employee and alleged gambling ring leader will testify under oath to his dealings with the Michigan men's basketball program.

The Free Press cited a source familiar with the case as saying that should Martin refuse to disclose his entire relationship, he would face even more charges.

With the deal, Martin is looking at 12 to 18 months in prison, but his Detroit home will not be seized, the Free Press said.

The years following the 1997 investigation of the basketball program have been witness to continuing allegations of major cash payments made by Martin to former players, but no allegations could be substantiated since neither Martin nor the players were compelled to give full disclosure.

But last summer, after the FBI raided Martin's residence while investigating him for numbers running, evidence was uncovered linking him financially to former Michigan hoopsters. Louis Bullock, Robert Traylor, Maurice Taylor, Jalen Rose and Chris Webber were subsequently subpoenaed to appear in front of a federal grand jury.

That testimony remains unreleased to the public.

The FBI and IRS may be interested in Martin's relationship with former players in order to determine whether income has gone unreported to the federal government.

But the NCAA will surely take note of Martin's testimony, should he talk. If Louis Bullock did indeed accept cash payments from Martin into his senior season of 1998, as reported by The Ann Arbor News last fall, it could spell serious trouble for the Michigan basketball program.

When Martin's plea bargain possibility was first made public in January, University President Lee Bollinger released a written statement. "Since this matter first resurfaced last year, we have been made aware of the United States Attorney's investigation, have provided information when asked, and will continue to do so," Bollinger said. "We are fully committed to finding out the truth about what may have happened and to uphold the highest standards and values in our athletics program."