Audio Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI says traditional organized crime—such as La Cosa Nostra—prey on collegiate and professional athletes through illegal gambling, drugs, and other means. Supervisory Special Agent Nicholas Cheviron…

Nicholas Cheviron: Once you’re indebted to organized crime, they have you, and they can use you to manipulate games, to do a variety of different things with no concern for your well being or your career.

Halpern: The FBI’s sports presentation program educates NCAA members and professional athletes about how they can prevent falling victim to organized crime. Examples of FBI cases are used to show athletes that the threat is real. The programs also warns athletes about the pitfalls of illegal performance enhancing drugs, the dangers of social media, and more. FBI agents involved in the program are…

Cheviron: They’re either previous professional athletes or collegiate athletes. They can speak to the athletes and relate to them but they also bring, of course, all of the FBI expertise.

Halpern: Educational institutions and professional sporting franchises interested in this training should contact their local FBI field office. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov. I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau with FBI, This Week.