ISU quarterback Hunter Dekkers, three others, faces charges in sports betting probe

AMES — Three Iowa State student-athletes and one former athlete were charged Tuesday with tampering with records, a result of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s inquiry into sports gambling.

The Story County Attorney’s Office filed criminal complaints against ISU quarterback Hunter Dekkers, wrestler Paniro Johnson, offense lineman Dodge Sauser and former ISU defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike. Tampering with records is an aggravated misdemeanor.

The current and former student-athletes are accused of engaging in schemes with other people to disguise their identities and “manipulate online/mobile transactions in order to create the appearance” that their sports wagers were being conducted by other people.

The criminal complaint against Dekkers, who started all 12 games for the Cyclones last season, alleges that he placed wagers on approximately 26 Cyclone sporting events, including a 2021 football game against Oklahoma State when he was a sophomore backup quarterback. He did not play in that game.

The court filing notes Dekkers’ alleged actions violate “various legal and regulatory frameworks.” Among them: Underage gambling; violation of licensed sportsbook user terms and conditions; breach of university and NCAA policies; unfair wagering and conflict of interest; and tax implications.

The court document alleges Dekkers, a redshirt junior, “engaged in a scheme” with Scott Dekkers and Jami Dekkers that allowed him to “disguise his identity and manipulate online/mobile transactions in order to create the appearance that sports transactions conducted by Hunter Dekkers were made by Jami Dekkers.”

Although Dekkers’ ISU bio does not list his parents, Scott and Jami Dekkers are identified as his parents in

Dekkers allegedly “completed approximately 366 mobile/online sports wagers” on the DraftKings sportsbook and “approximately 297” of those wagers were placed when Dekkers was under the legal gambling age of 21. The wagers totaled more than $2,799, the complaint states.

Criminal complaints detail wagers placed by student-athletes

The criminal complaints filed against Johnson, Sauser and Uwazurike detail the number of wagers they are alleged to have made:

• Paniro Johnson, a sophomore wrestler who will turn 21 in 2024, is accused of engaging in a scheme with Thesha Freeman to place online and mobile wagers on DraftKings. According to the complaint, Johnson placed approximately 1,283 mobile/online sports wagers that totaled more than $45,640. Johnson, a 2023 Big 12 champion and NCAA qualifier, is alleged to have placed bets on ISU athletic events.
• Dodge Sauser, a redshirt sophomore who turned 21 in May, is accused of engaging in a scheme with Amanda Sauser to place online and mobile wagers on DraftKings. According to the complaint, Sauser placed 113 mobile/online sports wagers that totaled more than $3,075. Sauser is accused of placing 12 wagers on ISU football games, including 2022 games against Ohio, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. He has not seen game action in his first two years at ISU.
• Eyioma Uwazurike, who was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2022, is accused of engaging in a scheme with Rachel Louise Francis to place wagers on FanDuel. According to the complaint, Uwazurike placed approximately 801 mobile/online wagers that collectively totaled more than $21,361. Four wagers were placed on ISU football games, including 2021 games against the University of Iowa and Kansas, in which Uwazurike participated. He is also accused of placing approximately 32 wagers on Broncos events and individual Broncos players. The wagers were placed after Uwazurike was drafted to the Broncos, according to the complaint

Athletes could lose eligibility

In addition to facing criminal penalties, Dekkers, Johnson and Sauser could lose all of their remaining eligibility because of NCAA rules that bar student-athletes from betting on their own games or any other sports at an individual’s own institution.

“We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time,” ISU Senior Associate Athletics Director Nick Joos said in a statement.

These are the first student-athletes to be charged in a monthslong investigation by the ICI into sports gambling by student-athletes at ISU and the UI. The investigation remains ongoing.

Both schools acknowledged the existence of the investigation on May 9, and 26 Hawkeye players along with 15 Cyclone players — from a variety of sports — are under scrutiny, according to campus officials.