BMV investigation shows no wrongdoing by Ohio State football players

By Pat Brennan

BMV investigation shows no wrongdoing by Ohio State football players

After the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles concluded its investigation of car purchases made by Ohio State athletes and found that all purchases were legitimate, OSU has canceled its own investigation.

According to the BMV’s 65-page report released Tuesday, which examined purchases from the Jack Maxton Chevrolet and Auto Direct dealerships in Columbus, there was “no evidence” to suggest wrongdoing by the dealerships or OSU players.

“In light of the report from the BMV and an examination done by the Ohio Independent Automobile Dealers Association, we have seen no evidence that would lead us to believe that Ohio State student athletes violated any policies when purchasing used cars,” OSU spokesman Jim Lynch wrote in an email to The Lantern. “Therefore, we will not be conducting an independent examination outside of what has already been done by these parties.”

The report cited that all 25 transactions were legitimate; however, no OSU officials were referenced in the BMV report.

In a separate investigation released Tuesday, James R. Mitchell, the executive director of Ohio Independent Automobile Dealers Association, said that each of the 25 cars in question were sold at “fair market value.”

“It is my professional opinion in regards to the sales transactions regarding (OSU) student athletes and their family members that there was no preferential treatment,” he wrote in a letter.

The BMV’s investigation found that the automobile titles for the cars in question accurately reflected the actual purchase prices of the cars. The report also said there was no evidence of players providing memorabilia or tickets to the dealerships in place of cash.

The Columbus Dispatch originally reported OSU’s plan to investigate car sales on May 7. Terrelle Pryor, who was connected to the use of at least six different cars during his time at OSU, departed the university on June 7 to pursue an NFL career.

Thomas Bradley contributed to this story.

Read more here: http://www.thelantern.com/sports/bmv-investigation-shows-no-wrongdoings-osu-halts-own-probe-1.2416382
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