Nevin Shapiro Implicates Pittsburgh Resident In Miami Football Scandal

The University of Miami appears to be in deep trouble after a Harry Potter series' worth of allegations by former booster Nevin Shapiro that includes allegations against former player Andrew Johnson, a North Hills graduate and current Pittsburgh resident.

... Hurricanes booster Nevin Shapiro described a sustained, eight-year run of rampant NCAA rule-breaking, some of it with the knowledge or direct participation of at least seven coaches from the Miami football and basketball programs. At a cost that Shapiro estimates in the millions of dollars, he said his benefits to athletes included but were not limited to cash, prostitutes, entertainment in his multimillion-dollar homes and yacht, paid trips to high-end restaurants and nightclubs, jewelry, bounties for on-field play (including bounties for injuring opposing players), travel and, on one occasion, an abortion.

Yahoo! has looked at thousands of pages of financial records and confirmed various aspects of Shapiro's story with 21 different sources. 

Shapiro says he is coming forward now because, after he was busted for his role in a Ponzi scheme, he asked some of the players whose backs he'd scratched to scratch his own, and he was disappointed with the results. He is currently serving 20 years in a federal prison.

Johnson, meanwhile, is accused of accepting small amounts of cash and Miami Heat tickest. He denies receiving improper benefits.

"I never got nothing," Johnson told the Tribune-Review late Tuesday night. "(Shapiro's) name was on the players' lounge. Other than that, I didn't know too much about him. I've seen his face around, but I never had contact with him."

Johnson is an assistant coach at West Allegheny.

There's a good review of what's going on here over at SB Nation.