On Sept. 30, five indictments related to the North Carolina football scandal were handed down by a grand jury and subsequently sealed.
One by one, each of those indictments were unsealed during a two-month period, and five individuals were charged with counts of athlete-agent inducement in violation of the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
In the end, 26 charges — 25 in violation of the North Carolina Uniform Athletes Agents Act — were levied against the five stemming from improper benefits doled out to former UNC football players Greg Little, Robert Quinn and Marvin Austin
Jennifer Wiley Thompson, a former University tutor, was the first indictment unsealed on Oct. 3, and she was charged with four counts of athlete-agent inducement.
“This is new territory for everyone involved,” said Elliot Abrams, one of Thompson’s attorneys. “No one has ever been charged with this crime. So this is something that the district attorney’s office has to continue to look into, we have to continue to look into and we would ask that everyone keep an open mind until this matter is concluded in a court of law.”
Terry Watson of Watson Sports Agency made his first appearance in court six days after Thompson. The Georgia resident was charged with 13 counts of athlete-agent inducement and one count felony obstruction of justice.
Patrick Jones, a Georgia real estate agent and associate of Watson, appeared in court on Oct. 15 on one count of athlete-agent inducement for giving a woman, Constance Orr, $725 to give to Quinn, now a starting defensive end with the St. Louis Rams.
Willie Barley, who is employed by Watson Sports Agency, and Michael Johnson, a former N.C. Central quarterback and employee of Rosenhaus Sports Representation, were the final two individuals to appear in front of the court. Barley, charged with four counts of athlete-agent inducement, appeared in front of a judge on Nov. 13 and Johnson, charged with three counts of athlete-agent inducement, made his first appearance on Nov. 8.
“I think the message is that it’s a violation of the law, even though some people feel like it goes on everywhere since everybody does it, it’s OK,” said Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall after Thompson’s indictment. “It’s not the way it is. It’s not OK because it may go on everywhere.
