Former Auburn basketball player Kyievarez "Varez" Ward was indicted on two federal counts citing his role in a point-shaving scandal during the 2011-2012 season.
In the indictment released Thursday, May 30, Ward allegedly conspired with others to defraud and bribe one or more individuals to influence a sporting contest, an act that is illegal under United States Code.
Ward appeared in court in Montgomery Tuesday, June 4, and his bond was set at $25,000. He faces up to five years in prison on each of the two counts.
Prior to the Feb. 25, 2012 home game against Arkansas, Ward and current basketball team member Chris Denson were suspended after allegations of the two players intentionally underperforming. These allegations included point-shaving, which may include a player purposefully missing shots or creating turnovers in an attempt to influence the final score.
Soon after the suspensions, Denson was cleared of any wrongdoing and allowed to continue with the team, but Ward remained suspended for the entirety of the season.
Auburn University Athletics released a statement following the suspensions saying school officials were "made aware of a rumor regarding an allegation," and quickly reported it to the FBI, NCAA and SEC.
Ward played high school basketball at Jefferson Davis High School in Montgomery, and prior to transferring to Auburn in August 2010, attended the University of Texas. Originally expected to play at Cincinnati, Ward made his decision to become a Longhorn just before the start of his freshman year.
At Texas, Ward averaged four points in 15 minutes per game and won the starting job his sophomore year before tearing his right quadriceps tendon just before the fifth game of the season. Ward was given a medical hardship waiver from the NCAA to preserve a year of eligibility; the medical redshirt would be used at Auburn.
Ward averaged 8.9 points at Auburn and played in 27 games during the 2011-2012 season. The Tigers finished 15-16 for the year and 5-11 in the conference.
Ward is no longer enrolled at Auburn.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
