Iowa state athletes file federal lawsuit over betting investigation

A group of 26 athletes say state criminal investigators violated their constitutional rights.

US.- A group of 26 athletes from Iowa and Iowa State University have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that state criminal investigators violated their constitutional rights by using geolocation software to track activity on their cellphones. The tracking was part of a sports wagering inquiry that resulted in criminal charges and the loss of NCAA eligibility.

The group claims the state of Iowa, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and individual DCI employees Stephan Bayens, Paul Feddersen, David Jobes, Troy Nelson and Brian Sanger violated their 4th and 14th Amendment rights with warrantless searches and unlawful seizures.

The plaintiffs are current and former athletes: 16 from the University of Iowa, nine from Iowa State and one from a community college in central Iowa. Thirteen played football, six wrestled and the other seven played baseball or basketball. Sixteen were criminally charged, and 12 pleaded guilty to underage gambling.

See also: Iowa sports betting handle reaches $272.3m in March