CSUN COACH BUSTED; NORTHRIDGE MAN INDICTED IN CRACK COCAINE RING.Byline: Brian Dohn and Peter Hartlaub Daily News Staff Writers Cal State Northridge women's basketball Women's basketball is one of the few games which developed in tandem with men's. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. coach Michael Abraham was indicted INDICTED, practice. When a man is accused by a bill of indictment preferred by a grand jury, he is said to be indicted. for possession and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine seized at the Burbank Airport last year, FBI officials said Wednesday. Abraham, 39, was released on $200,000 bail Wednesday on the federal charges and placed on unpaid leave from California State University, Northridge CSUN offers a variety of programs leading to bachelor's degrees in 61 fields and master's degrees in 42 fields. The university has over 150,000 alumni. It's also home to a summer musical theater/theater program known as TADW (TeenAge Drama Workshop) that leads teenagers through an , less than two weeks before the team's first preseason game. He did not return phone calls and didn't answer the door at his Northridge home Wednesday. ``From my perspective, I'm absolutely stunned stun tr.v. stunned, stun·ning, stuns 1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow. 2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise. 3. ,'' said Judy Brame, CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge associate athletic director-internal affairs, who will take over as acting women's basketball coach. ``Disheartened dis·heart·en tr.v. dis·heart·ened, dis·heart·en·ing, dis·heart·ens To shake or destroy the courage or resolution of; dispirit. See Synonyms at discourage. , disillusioned dis·il·lu·sion tr.v. dis·il·lu·sioned, dis·il·lu·sion·ing, dis·il·lu·sions To free or deprive of illusion. n. 1. The act of disenchanting. 2. The condition or fact of being disenchanted. , disappointed. We met with the assistants, and . . . they're stunned. What else can you be?'' The players were advised against talking to Noun 1. talking to - a lengthy rebuke; "a good lecture was my father's idea of discipline"; "the teacher gave him a talking to" lecture, speech rebuke, reprehension, reprimand, reproof, reproval - an act or expression of criticism and censure; "he had to the media, but released this statement on behalf of the team: ``We feel like we lost a member of our family. We are all shocked but we need to remain focused on our goals and the things that coach Abraham wants us to accomplish. This is just another obstacle we have to overcome. We believe in our hearts he will be back, coaching our program.'' CSUN President Blenda Wilson was unavailable for comment Wednesday and university officials declined to reveal where she was. Word of Abraham's arrest spread across campus, and left students in disbelief. ``For a professional coach to be arrested for (conspiracy to distribute narcotics narcotics n. 1) techinically, drugs which dull the senses. 2) a popular generic term for drugs which cannot be legally possessed, sold, or transported except for medicinal uses for which a physician or dentist's prescription is required. ) is embarrassing for the school,'' said junior Brandon Bird Brandon Bird is an artist. He was born in 1980 in Carmichael, California, a suburb of Sacramento. He attended University of California, Santa Cruz and was an artist-in-residence from 2004-2006 at Risley Residential College at Cornell University. , a Valencia resident. ``It doesn't make our campus any better than what it is, and that's saying something.'' Players contacted Ron Kopita, vice president of student affairs Student affairs staff are responsible for academic advising and support services delivery at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. The chief student affairs officer at a college or university often reports directly to the chief executive of the institution. , said athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic Paul Bubb was writing letters to the families of each of the players to address the situation. Also, assistant coach Karon Howell said the players CSUN is recruiting have been contacted. ``Our concern is to the well-being of our students,'' Kopita said. ``Let the FBI do its thing and we'll take care of our women's basketball players.'' Athletic administrators said practice for the women's basketball team would be closed to outside parties until further notice. Bubb said a search for a replacement coach wouldn't begin unless Abraham was found guilty of the allegations. ``Doing a search for a new head coach right now isn't really an option because Michael Abraham is still an employee of the university,'' Bubb said. ``He's on administrative leave. So there has to be someone setting up the program while he is on administrative leave.'' Abraham, who was an assistant coach at Long Beach State and Oregon State, was hired June 1, 1995, by CSUN. He was 23-59 in three seasons, going 14-14 last season. His wife, Trisonya, gave birth to the couple's second child, Michael John Jr., on Oct. 16. They also have a 2-year-old daughter, Amirah. A federal grand jury in Nebraska unsealed the indictment against Abraham this week after reviewing evidence the FBI has been gathering for more than two years. Abraham was arrested without incident at the CSUN gymnasium after basketball practice Tuesday evening. A magistrate judge set his bail, ordering him to surrender his passport and be fitted with an electronic tracking device. Officials in Nebraska's FBI and U.S. Attorney's offices said Abraham probably will not face the charges in California. ``We expect in the next week or two, he'll be here in Omaha,'' said FBI spokesman Larry Holmquist. A U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman in Nebraska said the drugs were coming from the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area and were being distributed to a group living in Omaha. The investigation started in February 1996. Federal officials say that in January 1997 they seized three kilos of crack cocaine at Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport and more than $53,000 cash at Epply Airfield in Omaha. Abraham is charged with both conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of crack cocaine. If convicted, he faces a minimum term of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life, Holmquist said. He also could be fined up to $4 million. Abraham showed up for the bail hearing Wednesday wearing CSUN Matadors colors - dark red shorts with black and white shoes and jacket. He was led out in handcuffs hand·cuff n. A restraining device consisting of a pair of strong, connected hoops that can be tightened and locked about the wrists and used on one or both arms of a prisoner in custody; a manacle. Often used in the plural. tr.v. , but attorneys said he would make bail Wednesday evening. His wife planned to put up $100,000 immediately and his father is expecting to be ready to put up another $100,000, off his Portland, Ore., home, next week. His father, retired Judge Philip T. Abraham, at one point presided over the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan ice-skating dispute. He owns a Portland home with an assessed value of $450,000, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Multnomaw County property records. Gets warning On Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Nakazato warned the coach to abide by To stand to; to adhere; to maintain. See also: Abide his order to stay in the Los Angeles area, explaining that fleeing ``will basically cause the forfeiture in this case of your parents' home.'' Nakazato said Abraham can go to Nebraska for court dates and Portland to visit his parents, as long as he gives 48 hours' notice. Nakazato also ordered Abraham to pick up an electronic tracker and wear it around the clock. Abraham quietly said, ``Yes, your honor,'' then was led out of the courtroom. Prosecutors said Abraham will be tried out of state, unless he agrees to a guilty plea in Los Angeles. After a hearing next week, Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Drooyan said, Abraham will ``go to Nebraska and we'll never see him again.'' The cocaine seizure was not an isolated case at Burbank Airport, which is quickly losing its reputation as a port with low security. A special task force has seized more than $31 million in drugs at Burbank Airport since 1995. Airport spokesman Victor Gill hadn't heard about the charges against Abraham, but wasn't surprised to hear about the bust. ``Over the last three years, there's been a lot more activity,'' Gill said. ``The sheriffs and police from several cities have a strong presence at the airport.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Michael Abraham |
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