Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Patrick Ewing to Testify in Atlanta Racketeering Trial

Aired July 23, 2001 - 08:36   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: The salacious story of the day has got to be the Gold Club trial. Strippers, athletes, sex and the mob, maybe. And the first professional athlete, NBA star Patrick Ewing is expected to take the witness stand today.

CNN's Brian Cabell is covering the story right here in Atlanta -- Brian.

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Colleen. We are now awaiting the arrival of NBA star Patrick Ewing. We suspect they may try to sneak him into the federal building behind us, but he should be here within the next half hour or so. He will not be -- he is not charged with any crimes at all, but he will testify, according to prosecutors, that he was given sexual favors at the Gold Club. He will also testify, we think, that at a Charleston hotel some four years ago, some strippers from the Gold Club were sent there to entertain the Knicks as they were preparing for the play-offs. That was back in 1997.

This trial is in its third month. It will continue for at least a few more months. It is a wide-ranging racketeering trial involving not only prostitution charges, but also money skimming, money laundering, credit card fraud, payoffs to the mob and also police corruption. As for the prostitution charges, the prosecutors alleged that was all part of the marketing strategy of the Gold Club to lure big name athletes and entertainers to the club, get them, make them happy, bring more big name athletes in, bring more money in to the Gold Club.

The defendants, the seven of them here on trial now will contend yes, that was part of strategy, the marketing strategy at the Gold Club, but they will contend that none of them committed any crimes during that crime.

I'm Brian Cabell, CNN, live in Atlanta.

MCEDWARDS: Brian, before you go, in terms of those big name athletes, any others that we know are expected to testify in the weeks ahead?

CABELL: Well, Colleen, a number of names have been tossed about during the last three months, also in the indictment. We've heard about Terrell Davis, the running back from the Denver Broncos; Jamal Anderson, running back for the Atlanta Falcons; Dikembe Mutombo from the Atlanta Hawks, now with the 76ers, Andruw Jones. We also heard the name Madonna mentioned last week. She, according to one witness, came to the Gold Club some years and walked away with one of the entertainers.

So again, a lot of names out there, but none of them have been charged with any crimes.

MCEDWARDS: Understood. CNN's Brian Cabell. Thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com