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(U-WIRE) GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The investigation into gambling allegations of a University of Florida student-athlete by University Police will soon come to a close.
University Police Chief Everett Stevens said the gambling investigation his department is conducting will not go on much longer.
"I feel like the gambling investigation we are conducting will be over soon," Stevens said. "I will not disclose who our investigation involves."
UF men's basketball coach Billy Donovan said he has been kept in the dark about the investigation being conducted by University Police.
"It's a situation that is out of my hands totally. Jeremy Foley and the administration are handling it. I have not been informed or kept up to date," Donovan said. "I have been told once everything is completed they will sit down with me and talk to me about what is going on. From my standpoint, it's something I would like to put behind our basketball team, not that it's lingering over our team's heads, certainly for Teddy [Dupay] it is, and I know for him he would like to be able to move forward."
Gilbert A. Schaffnit, a Gainesville criminal defense attorney, would not confirm or deny reports that he has been retained to represent UF guard Dupay in the investigation being conducted by University Police.
"There are other people involved in the investigation. From what I understand it's not an investigation of Teddy Dupay, it's of another individual," Schaffnit said. "I agree [University Police] wouldn't spend this much time on something if there wasn't anything there."
State Attorney Bill Cervone said that no police agency conducts investigations for the amount of time University Police has, unless there is something serious to investigate. He also said that it is his belief Dupay had hired an attorney to represent him.
"UPD would not investigate something for this long of a period if there wasn't something to investigate," Cervone said. "As far as I know Schaffnit has been retained by Teddy."
NCAA rules state that a student-athlete who participates in any gambling activity, either collegiate or professional, will be ineligible for competition for the period of one year.
Schaffnit said the NCAA rules also encompass any association by a student-athlete with someone found to have been involved in illegal gambling and that could be enough for a player to lose eligibility.
"In the NCAA, association with someone who is involved in gambling is probably enough [to lose eligibility or be fined]," Schaffnit said.
Donovan said it is important that the investigation into one of his athletes be done as quickly as possible, so those involved could put the ordeal behind them.
"Everybody understands the importance of getting things done in a timely fashion. From my standpoint, Teddy is someone close to me, so for me, I am more concerned about him; it's been a long ordeal for him and he's gone through a lot himself right now," Donovan said. "So I just want to be supportive of him right now, I am not trying to draw any conclusions. I don't talk to Teddy about it, it is something that Teddy is dealing with the university and is out of my hands."
University Police Chief Everett Stevens said the gambling investigation his department is conducting will not go on much longer.
"I feel like the gambling investigation we are conducting will be over soon," Stevens said. "I will not disclose who our investigation involves."
UF men's basketball coach Billy Donovan said he has been kept in the dark about the investigation being conducted by University Police.
"It's a situation that is out of my hands totally. Jeremy Foley and the administration are handling it. I have not been informed or kept up to date," Donovan said. "I have been told once everything is completed they will sit down with me and talk to me about what is going on. From my standpoint, it's something I would like to put behind our basketball team, not that it's lingering over our team's heads, certainly for Teddy [Dupay] it is, and I know for him he would like to be able to move forward."
Gilbert A. Schaffnit, a Gainesville criminal defense attorney, would not confirm or deny reports that he has been retained to represent UF guard Dupay in the investigation being conducted by University Police.
"There are other people involved in the investigation. From what I understand it's not an investigation of Teddy Dupay, it's of another individual," Schaffnit said. "I agree [University Police] wouldn't spend this much time on something if there wasn't anything there."
State Attorney Bill Cervone said that no police agency conducts investigations for the amount of time University Police has, unless there is something serious to investigate. He also said that it is his belief Dupay had hired an attorney to represent him.
"UPD would not investigate something for this long of a period if there wasn't something to investigate," Cervone said. "As far as I know Schaffnit has been retained by Teddy."
NCAA rules state that a student-athlete who participates in any gambling activity, either collegiate or professional, will be ineligible for competition for the period of one year.
Schaffnit said the NCAA rules also encompass any association by a student-athlete with someone found to have been involved in illegal gambling and that could be enough for a player to lose eligibility.
"In the NCAA, association with someone who is involved in gambling is probably enough [to lose eligibility or be fined]," Schaffnit said.
Donovan said it is important that the investigation into one of his athletes be done as quickly as possible, so those involved could put the ordeal behind them.
"Everybody understands the importance of getting things done in a timely fashion. From my standpoint, Teddy is someone close to me, so for me, I am more concerned about him; it's been a long ordeal for him and he's gone through a lot himself right now," Donovan said. "So I just want to be supportive of him right now, I am not trying to draw any conclusions. I don't talk to Teddy about it, it is something that Teddy is dealing with the university and is out of my hands."