Ex-UW standout guilty in investment scandal
|
Dean Kirkland, a former Washington football player who was a co-captain on the 1990 team that won the Pac-10 title, was found guilty last week in Portland on 26 felony counts of wire fraud, obstruction of justice and paying illegal gratuities to union pension fund trustees.
Kirkland, a native of Vancouver, Wash., who lettered at the UW as an offensive guard from 1988-90 and was a first-team All-Pac-10 pick as a senior, was a salesman for Capital Consultants, a Portland investment firm.
According to The Oregonian newspaper, the firm was seized by federal regulators in September 2000, with clients losing about $350 million.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown wrote in a 101-page ruling that "between 1995 and 2000, Dean Kirkland and (Capital Consultants) spent tens of thousands of dollars to repeatedly bestow gratuities on targeted union trustees who regularly made decisions and took actions that benefited Dean Kirkland (and Capital Consultants)," according to The Oregonian.
Two other defendants, former union leaders Gary Kirkland — Dean's father — and Robert Legino were found not guilty.
According to the newspaper, the decision brought to 10 the number of people connected to the Capital Consultants case who have pleaded guilty or been convicted of federal crimes.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 9. Kirkland could receive 15 to 25 months in prison.
Kirkland became a starter midway through the 1988 season and was a full-time starter in 1989 and 1990. The 1990 team went 10-2 and was ranked No. 5 in the final Associated Press poll after beating Iowa 46-34 in the Rose Bowl.