The investigation by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) into sports wagering among student-athletes at the University of Iowa and Iowa State has led to charges being brought against more athletes at both schools — including some more familiar names.
According to records obtained by Go Iowa Awesome, former WR Arland Bruce IV, who transferred to Oklahoma State in the offseason, is one of four people connected to the Iowa football program who were charged in Johnson County, Iowa, on Thursday on charges of tampering with records. Also facing charges from the Iowa football program are current WR Jack Johnson, former DB Reggie Bracy (transferred to Troy) and Owen O'Brien, listed as a graduate assistant in the complaint.
Like previously charged athletes Aaron Blom (football) and Gehrig Christensen (baseball), all four stand accused of placing prohibited wagers by using accounts registered to proxies, usually family members.
The complaints all specify that despite the wagers being placed on accounts belonging to family members, the activity was allegedly done on the accused's personal devices and requiring their own passwords; correspond to their own known locations, including University of Iowa areas; involve prohibited wagers on NCAA-sanctioned and Iowa events; and happened in Johnson County, Iowa.
Below is a breakdown of the wagers all four are alleged by the State of Iowa of making, in violation of state law and NCAA regulations:
ARLAND BRUCE IV
Bruce is accused of completing 132 wagers totaling over $4,342, including 19 alleged wagers on a total of 12 Iowa football games over the last two seasons, 11 of which Bruce participated in.
As with the other three, the complaint does not specify which team(s) Bruce allegedly bet on, but does note alleged over/under bets.
2021:
@ Iowa State
vs. Penn State
vs. Purdue
@ Nebraska
vs. Michigan (B1G Championship Game)
vs. Kentucky (Citrus Bowl)
2022:
vs. South Dakota State
@ Rutgers
vs. Michigan
vs. Northwestern (under total points)
vs. Nebraska
vs. Kentucky (Music City Bowl) (under total points)
Bruce was no longer with the Iowa football program at the time of the Music City Bowl. An Oklahoma State representative declined comment on Bruce's status, other than to say the school is aware of the situation and gathering information.
Bruce allegedly placed the bets through an account registered to a Vincent Bruce, presumably a family member, who is over 21. Iowa state law requires identity verification to use gambling apps like DraftKings, which Bruce and the others named in today's complaints allegedly used for the prohibited activity.
REGGIE BRACY
Bracy is accused of completing 66 wagers totaling over $715, including eight wagers on University of Iowa sports. Bracy is accused of betting on two 2022 games in which he participated:
vs. South Dakota State
vs. Michigan
According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Bracy allegedly worked with Bruce to place his prohibited wagers through the Vincent Bruce account as well.
A representative at Troy provided this update on Bracy's status: “Reggie Bracy has been suspended from all team-related activity in response to allegations of his conduct while he was a student-athlete at another institution. We will have no further comment at this time.”
JACK JOHNSON
Johnson, a walk-on wide receiver with Iowa and the only one of the three players charged today who is still on the Iowa roster, is accused of completing over 480 wagers for over $2,500, including 380 wagers for over $1,800 before Johnson was of legal betting age (he turned 21 on June 15, 2022). Johnson is accused of placing at least 11 bets on Iowa basketball games and four bets on two Iowa football games that he did not participate in:
@ Wisconsin (2021)
vs. Illinois (2022)
Johnson is accused of placing his wagers through an account registered to his mother, Jill Johnson.
OWEN O'BRIEN
O'Brien, a graduate assistant with the Iowa program since 2022 and a student assistant prior to that, is accused of completing over 350 wagers for over $3,047 before turning 21 on March 29, 2023. This includes 11 wagers on Iowa sporting events, including three unspecified Iowa football games while a member of the staff.
O'Brien is accused of placing his wagers through an account registered to his mother, Audra O'Brien.
Meanwhile at Iowa State, RB Jirehl Brock, TE DeShawn Hanika, DL Isaiah Lee and Jake Remsburg were all charged with tampering with records as well, as part of the same investigation. All four were starters in 2022.
The current information around Bruce, Bracy, and Johnson concerns only the criminal charges they are facing for violating Iowa law. Any sanctions from the NCAA will be determined at a later date. However, under current NCAA rules, all three players would be permanently ineligible to compete in college athletics if the NCAA rules that they placed bets on University of Iowa sporting events.
Go Iowa Awesome will continue to provide more information as the statewide gambling investigation continues.
