One of the athletes targeted in the Iowa State gambling probe can return to the field.
The NFL on Monday reinstated Denver Broncos defensive lineman Eyioma Uwazurike after a year-long suspension. In a statement from Englewood, CO, the league said Uwazurike “is now eligible to participate in all team activities.”
The NFL indefinitely suspended Eyioma Uwazurike for betting on NFL games in the 2022 season. He couldn’t petition for reinstatement until July 24, 2024.
Denver selected Uwazurike in the fourth-round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
False Sportsbook Profile Led to Charges
Uwazurike faced a tampering with records charge on Aug. 1, 2023, after he allegedly made more than 800 sports wagers on college and NFL games. The Story County Attorney’s Office tacked on a Class D felony charge of identity theft on Aug. 25, 2023.
Brandon Hurley of the Ames Tribune reviewed court records that suggest Uwazurike:
- Used a female’s name to sign up for a FanDuel Sportsbook account.
- Then logged onto the account using his iPhone.
Investigators think he placed more than $21,000 in bets on games starting Feb. 7, 2021, which predated his final season with the Iowa State Cyclones. Four of Uwazurike’s alleged wagers involved 2021 Cyclones home games against Iowa and Kansas.
As the investigation continued in Iowa, Uwazurike played 165 snaps in eight games during the 2022 NFL season.
Bets continued until July 2022, about two months after the Denver Broncos drafted him. He was also accused of placing about 32 bets on Denver games and prop bets involving Broncos players.
The league suspended the defensive lineman about a month before 2023 Story County charges were filed. Ames and the Iowa State University campus are located within Story County.
Uwazurike’s Iowa State Gambling Charges Dropped
Des Moines attorney Van Plumb represented Uwazurike and other players involved in the Iowa sports betting scandal. Former athletes at Iowa State and the University of Iowa named the state in a civil rights lawsuit surrounding the investigation.
Court filings accuse the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations of using AI and real-time geo-location software to conduct an illegal, digital search of personal devices to build their case.
Plumb argues the DCI conducted its digital search “without a warrant, tips, complaints, or evidence that illegal gambling was occurring.” His clients want compensation compensation for “humiliation, degradation, public ridicule, loss of personal reputation, and emotional distress.”
Assistant Story County Attorney Benjamin Matchan filed a March 1, 2024, motion asking a judge to drop Uwazurike’s criminal charges.
“The state no longer believes further prosecution in this matter is in the interests of justice,” Matchan told the court.
With Monday’s reinstatement, Uwazurike joins Denver’s 90-man roster. The Broncos open the preseason on Sunday at the Indianapolis Colts.
The regular season begins Sunday, Sept. 8, at the Seattle Seahawks.
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