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A jury in Lexington, Ky., on Thursday returned not guilty verdicts on the 11 counts former NBA player Randolph Morris faced for wire fraud and willfully making false statements on his tax returns. The case centered on Morris, a former New York Knick and Atlanta Hawk who earned $13.3 million in salary and bonuses by playing for the Beijing Ducks between 2010 and 2017, neither reporting his Chinese income nor paying U.S. taxes on that income. The former University of Kentucky star, if convicted, could have faced a maximum possible prison sentence that exceeded 80 years.
Former New York Knick and Atlanta Hawks center Randolph Morris has failed to convince a federal judge to suppress statements he made during a FaceTime conversation with two IRS special agents while he was in China and they were in the kitchen of his Kentucky home. In a ruling Friday from the U.S. district court in Lexington, Kentucky, Chief Judge Danny Reeves denied Morris’ motion to suppress evidence gathered during the intercontinental conversation on Sept. 12, 2018. The main reason: It was Morris’s idea to use FaceTime, and he was free to end the call.
Morris’s legal woes stem from allegations he failed to pay taxes on income earned while playing for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. According to a criminal indictment, the former University of Kentucky star earned $13.3 million in salary and bonuses from the Ducks between 2010 and 2017.
Morris faces 11 felony charges, three for wire fraud and eight for willfully making false statements on tax returns. If convicted on all charges, he’d face a maximum prison sentence of more than 80 years. However, Judge Reeves wouldn’t sentence a first-time offender to such a lengthy term. More likely, the judge would run the sentences concurrently. Still, Morris could spend several years behind bars.
A graduate transfer from Creighton, Mintz led the Wildcats in scoring (11.5 PPG) and assists (3.1 APG) in 2020-21 while also averaging 3.2 rebounds per game. This is the first time Kentucky is getting its leading scorer back since Randolph Morris in 2006-07.
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A federal grand jury in Lexington returned an 11-count indictment against the 35-year-old Randolph Morris, who played at the University of Kentucky from 2004 to 2007, before entering the National Basketball Association (NBA), where he played until 2010. Morris is accused of submitting false income information to the Kentucky Department of Revenue for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 tax years, when he played for the Beijing Ducks. The alleged failure to report any of his earnings from his Chinese team during those years deprived the state of Kentucky of more than $400,000 in tax revenue.
A date for Morris to appear in federal court has not yet been scheduled. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 on each wire fraud count. For the counts of making false statements on tax returns, he faces a maximum prison sentence of three years. However, any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
Steve Moss: Former Wildcat Randolph Morris has been indicted by Lexington grand jury for wire fraud and tax evasion, for failing to report $13M in earning from Chinese career.. still calls Lexington home
After Stephon Marbury the Beijing Ducks decided to bring back Randolph Morris too. The big man agreed to a two-year contract extension with a team opion for the third season, as reported by Beijing Youth Daily.
Another former NBA player moves to China. The Beijing Ducks have brought Randolph Morris for a try-out. The 24-year-old American center arrives to the CBA after playing during the last two years for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 4.3 minutes per game in the 2009-10 season. Morris was also on the radar of Maccabi Tel Aviv this summer.
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Siler said he's looking to get signed within the next two weeks. He's hoping for at least a guaranteed one-year deal, rather than just an invitation to a team's camp. With the Heat signing Bosh, James and Wade, they need affordable players. But Miami already has four centers on its roster. Atlanta has Al Horford as its starting center, but the Hawks have a pair of backups in Jason Collins and Randolph Morris -- each averaged 3.3 minutes with two or fewer points a game last season. "I just want the opportunity," Siler said. "Once you get signed, you've got to make the most of it."
Another name for the long list of candidates to land in Maccabi Tel Aviv next season. The Israeli team is currently in talks with Randolph Morris, though no agreement is expected soon. The 24-year-old center has played during the last two seasons for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in the last one.
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