tank Black Sentened to Six Years

'Tank' Black Sentenced to Six Years for Money Laundering

Separate trial on charges of mismanagement of athletes to come soon

Detroit, June 19, 2001 -- U. S. District Judge Lawrence Zatkoff has fined and sentenced the formerly successful professional sports agent, William "Tank" Black, to more than six years in prison.

Black, who had previously pleaded guilty to money laundering, was sentenced in Detroit and fined $15,000, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press. Judge Zatkoff also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence. Black's imprisonment is a result of a three-year investigation by the IRS, and other agencies, according to the report. Additionally, Black will likely stand trial later this summer to charges relating to his representation of professional sports athletes.

The latter charges, which are pending in Florida, include wire and mail fraud, as well as conspiracy and money laundering. He allegedly swindled as much as $13.5 million, from as many as 24 NFL football players. Black, who had assisted drug traffickers in transferring over $1 million in cash in a complicated series of transactions involving the use of offshore bank accounts, is also under indictment in Louisiana, reportedly for conspiring to bribe LSU employees in the illegal recruitment of college football players.

Black's former attorney, James Franklin, was sentenced to more than two years in prison as well, for his involvement in the same case, according to a related report by the Bloomberg News. Black's former clients include, running back Fred Taylor, of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Ike Hilliard, wide receiver for the New York Giants.

Sources :

Detroit Free Press, June 15, 2001.

Bloomberg News, June 15, 2001.

David Burkey

daveywriter@hotmail.com