- ABC News
- April 26, 2024
More than two dozen athletes who were based in Iowa filed a federal lawsuit Friday alleging that state criminal investigators violated their constitutional rights by using geolocation software to track activity on their cellphones as part of a widespread sports wagering inquiry that resulted in criminal charges and the loss of NCAA eligibility. At issue in the 47-page lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa is whether the state's criminal investigators needed a search warrant before using a program from third-party company GeoComply to find athletes -- including many who were under 21, the legal betting age in Iowa -- and conduct searches to examine their online wagering activity. The plaintiffs are 26 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. "The lives of these young...