Fullerton Basketball Bribe Offer Alleged

A Cal State Fullerton student was arrested Monday on suspicion of attempting to bribe a member of the Titan men’s basketball team to throw a recent game, according to the Fullerton Police Department.

Jack Oh, 21, of La Verne was booked into the Fullerton jail on one felony count and is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail.

Oh, who was arrested between classes without incident, is expected to be arraigned in Municipal Court in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Sgt. Dave Stanko said. He will be formally charged today.

According to information provided by the police, Oh approached a player and offered him $1,000 to make sure Fullerton lost by more than the 10-point spread in its home game on Thursday against Pacific.

Pacific (with a 20-8 overall record, 12-2 in conference games), the first-place team in the Big West Conference’s Western Division, was a 10-point betting favorite against Fullerton and won, 71-57. The Titans are 10-14 overall, 5-9 in conference.

Police said Oh told the player, whom they would not identify, that he would also be paid $100 for each missed free throw and that the player could make as much as $75,000 by cooperating over the rest of the season.

Oh told the player to think about it and call him, police said. The player immediately went to Fullerton officials, according to Stanko, and the police arranged to have the player call Oh and ask for details while the conversation was taped.

During the call, Oh claimed he planned to wager up to $11,000 per game and offered the same deal to any other players who were interested.

“It’s a real credit to the program,” Stanko said, “that this player came forward and told his coach that this person was trying to intimidate him with this offer of $1,000.”

According to police, the player attempted to meet the suspect to accept the payoff, but Oh didn’t show up. But the tape provided enough evidence to make the arrest.

Cal State Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking would not comment.

Times staff writer Lon Eubanks contributed to this report.