Recent findings of potential misconduct by Florida State athletic department officials have emerged from a detailed probe into potential improprieties of former Seminole quarterback Adrian McPherson.
The list of allegations against the 19-year-old McPherson is extensive. The work of a joint investigation by three Florida law enforcement agencies has produced a new misdemeanor gambling charge against McPherson in addition to the previously standing charges of grand theft, petit theft and forgery.
McPherson, the 2000-2001 high school "Mr. Football" and "Mr. Basketball" in the state of Florida, began his career at FSU on the bench, as he was redshirted during the 2001 football season. According to the report, however, he engaged in illegal sports gambling before ever playing a down for the Seminoles.
In Jan. 2002, McPherson allegedly began placing bets on college and pro basketball games with former FSU student and bookie, Derek Delach. Football equipment manager Jeffery Inderhees, who lived in Burt Reynolds Hall with McPherson and several other football players, told investigators he "witnessed Adrian placing bets" on fewer than 20 occasions, according to testimony included in the report.
According to that testimony, Delach refused to take any more bets from McPherson beginning in February or March, due to a debt of $8,000 that Delach claimed had not been paid.
This effectively ended McPherson's relationship with Delach, but his alleged lawbreaking continued.
Inderhees told investigators that McPherson also committed credit card fraud in March 2002. Inderhees' sworn statement included a detailed account of how McPherson used the credit card of Inderhees' girlfriend to make an unauthorized purchase online of shoes.
In a separate incident, Inderhees alleged that McPherson stole a valuable Peter Warrick game jersey and pair of $100 sunglasses from him. Inderhees later claimed to have seen one of McPherson's friends wearing it, but McPherson denied it when confronted.
The next accusation against McPherson stemmed from an unauthorized purchase on equipment manager Mike Pellicer's credit card. On April 10, Pellicer's card was charged for two velour jumpsuits and two hats at a DEMO store in Tallahassee, costing $368.08. Pellicer was able to trace the purchase to McPherson after visiting the store for a description of the suits. He then told investigators that "I kind of realized who it was because I had seen [McPherson] wearing the suit that was bought."
On April 11, McPherson allegedly charged $332.86 to Pellicer's girlfriend's card at Zales.com for a diamond ring. According to Inderhees, McPherson requested that the ring be sent to the room next door to avoid detection.
The testimony of childhood friend Melvin "Smurf" Capers and former roommate Otis Livingston indicated that, early in the professional football season, McPherson was gambling again.
McPherson, Capers and Livingston may have collaborated in the gambling endeavor. Livingston told reporters in a sworn interview that the three had agreed to "put all our money together." They jointly set up an account on SBG Global, an online casino based in Costa Rica. Livingston revealed in his statement that McPherson regularly bet online but always used the account created in Capers' name because "he knew he'd get in trouble if it got traced back to him."
Capers and Livingston both told investigators that McPherson had bet on college football, specifically on an Oct. 26 game between Miami and West Virginia.
Although Capers claimed that McPherson never bet on FSU football, Livingston signed a sworn statement indicating that McPherson did bet on every Florida State football game of the 2003 season, adding that he always bet on the Seminoles to win.
The claim that McPherson never bet against FSU was called into question when rumors surfaced that a current NFL player and former Seminole had reported concerns about McPherson throwing a game to coach Bobby Bowden following FSU's loss to N.C. State. Livingston gave police a receipt from a Western Union transaction on Nov. 19, 2002 and stated that he had made the transaction to SBG Global in order to bet on FSU's game against N.C. State.
On Nov. 18 2002, McPherson visited Dale Acosta's R7R Truck accessories in Tallahassee and allegedly stole a blank check. He then called Capers and told him he had gotten the check from an FSU booster and asked if could Capers cash it so he would not get in trouble. Three days after cashing it, Nov. 25, Capers was arrested and soon gave a statement implicating McPherson. McPherson was arrested Nov. 27, and subsequently removed from Florida State football team.
McPherson's attorney, Grady Irvin, Jr., expressed concern with FSU's handling of the case, claiming that McPherson is simply being made into a scapegoat.
"I trust that they are not making Adrian McPherson into a scapegoat for a problem that I believe is more widespread," Irvin told The Cavalier Daily. "But I believe that they are [making McPherson into a scapegoat]. That's what it seems to be."
Irvin also said he believes the FSU athletic department demonstrated inconsistency in their dealings with McPherson.
"I think it's extremely concerning, if reports are accurate, that university officials would call the McPhersons when Adrian was late for practice but not call them when there were rumors circulating about his gambling," Irvin said. "I find it concerning and disturbing, and someone needs to be held accountable. There are many others who need to do a gut check and may have to sit in front of a civil jury."
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