HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton says he’s pursuing legal action against a former business manager, the same man at the center of recruiting allegations at the University of Connecticut, Hamilton’s alma mater.
Hamilton said he fired Josh Nochimson last year, accusing him of misusing one of Hamilton’s credit cards to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“There’s a whole lot of legal action going on,” Hamilton told the Associated Press on Wednesday in Cleveland. “There’s a big investigation. We’re in the process of legal action.”
Hamilton did not elaborate on what kind of legal action he is taking against Nochimson. The Associated Press could find not find a record of a lawsuit or criminal charges being filed.
g Hamilton’s foundation and sports camps, among other things.
Last week, Yahoo! Sports reported that Nochimson helped guide basketball recruit Nate Miles to Connecticut, giving him lodging, transportation, meals and representation. Nochimson, a former student manager at Connecticut, was considered a representative of UConn’s athletic interests by the NCAA and was prohibited from giving Miles anything of value.
Connecticut, which is playing in the Final Four this weekend in Detroit, has said it is working in cooperation with the NCAA in conducting a thorough review of the allegations.
Hamilton told the Hartford Courant Thursday that he’s never met Miles and was surprised to find out about his alleged link to Nochimson.
“I don’t know anything about (Miles),” Hamilton told the newspaper. “But somebody did ask me if I thought Josh was using my money to fund him or whatever. I don’t know. The only thing I know is what he stole from me. Josh was very secretive.”
Numerous messages and faxes to Nochimson seeking comment have gone unanswered. A message also was left for his attorney, Matthew Leitman, at his office in Michigan. Leitman’s voice mail message said he was out of state until later this month and would have “limited access” to voice mail and e-mails.
Hamilton said he fired Nochimson after discovering he had gained control of Hamilton’s American Express card.
y American Express bill, they wouldn’t let me into my account because my security information didn’t add up to what they had on file,” he told the newspaper. “He changed everything … just changed it. So my American Express account was like his, you know what I’m saying? It was crazy. … We’ve been on it; as soon as we found out we’ve been on it. When I looked at all my statements and stuff, he was doing it since like 2003-04 to ’08.”
Hamilton told the AP that he has discussed the situation with UConn coach Jim Calhoun, but did not elaborate.
“It’s sad, but you trust people and they take advantage,” Hamilton said. “You always have to have somebody watching everybody.”
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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
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