Raids Uncover Alleged Gambling in Prep Sports

An alleged gambling operation that might have involved game-fixing at the high school level was uncovered in raids that confiscated more than $500,000 in Florence, Ala., the FBI said Tuesday.

Florence police chief Rick Thompson was quoted in the Florence Times Daily and The Birmingham News as saying coaches may have been involved in the alleged scheme.

“Allegations brought forth during this investigation show that high school coaches and officials are manipulating the outcome of high school sporting events to cover the point spread given by odds makers,” Thompson told the Times Daily. “In turn, these so-called coaches and officials have been tampering with the lives and future careers of our high school athletes.”