Sports Agent Indicted in Michigan

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) â€” Sports agent William ``Tank'' Black has been indicted on money laundering and drug charges by a federal grand jury in Detroit, a Columbia television station has reported.

Wednesday, July 5th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) â€” Sports agent William ``Tank'' Black has been indicted on money laundering and drug charges by a federal grand jury in Detroit, a Columbia television station has reported.

He was arrested Wednesday morning and will remain in jail until a bond hearing next week, prosecutors told WIS-TV.

The 34-count indictment says Black took more than $1 million from drug dealers and funneled it into a car title loan business.

That title business was part of a $300 million pyramid scheme, prosecutors said.

Black and his associate Linda Wilson also have been charged with conspiracy and perjury charges.

Prosecutors said Black and Wilson helped a man flee who was wanted for drug dealing by the federal government. The television station reports the two flew the man from Columbia to Jamaica on a private jet and gave him thousands of dollars.

At a February bail hearing in state court in Florida, prosecutors there claimed Black went to Jamaica with two drug dealers from Detroit in April 1998.

Black and Wilson could face up to life in prison and $4 million in fines if convicted of all counts.

The indictment is similar to one handed down in Florida. There, Black is accused of defrauding several NFL players. The Securities and Exchange Commission also has sued Black, accusing him of scamming players for more than $5 million.

Black had been out on a $1 million bond from that case, which is scheduled to go to trial in January.