Tony Bland brings on El Chapo’s lawyer


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After being arrested by the FBI on charges that included conspiracy to commit bribery and wire fraud, USC assistant basketball coach Tony Bland has enlisted the services of attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Lichtman also represents alleged Mexican drug lord Joaquín Guzmán, also known as “El Chapo.”

Lichtman will be tasked with defending Bland following allegations that the USC assistant coach accepted bribes from sports agent Christian Dawkins and financial advisers, in return for convincing his players to sign with Dawkins’ budding agency. The FBI said that Bland accepted a cash gift of $13,000 from Dawkins. If found guilty of the charges, the U.S. Justice Department said Bland could face a maximum sentence of 80 years in prison.

Bland was arrested last week in Tampa, Fla., and was promptly released on $100,000 bail. He was named in the FBI’s investigation alongside three other NCAA assistant coaches: Emmanuel Richardson from Arizona, Chuck Person from Auburn and Lamont Evans from Oklahoma State. Louisville head coach Rick Pitino has already been effectively fired after the  university was also named in the report.

USC athletic director Lynn Swann placed Bland on administrative leave almost immediately after the FBI report surfaced. The University also hired Louis Freeh, a former FBI director, to conduct an internal investigation into the basketball program’s practices.

In addition to “El Chapo,” Lichtman also represented John Gotti Jr., the notorious head of the Gambino crime family in New York. He was successful in that endeavor, as Gotti had three murder charges dismissed in 2005.

“This whole thing has been absolutely devastating to his family,” Lichtman said to the Los Angeles Times. “At this time, we’re focused on his defense and his family. That’s more than he can handle.”

Lichtman also added that Bland had a message for USC.

“The guy absolutely loves USC and appreciates everything they’ve done for him every step of the way in his career, even through now,” Lichtman said. “He wants the USC family to know how much he’s appreciated his time there.”

Lichtman’s comments on Monday were the first statements made from Bland or his representatives since his arrest last week.

The attorney has represented Guzmán since this August.