Buckeyes' tattoo connection pleads guilty in marijuana case

A Columbus tattoo-parlor owner whose purchase of Ohio State football memorabilia triggered an NCAA investigation of the school pleaded guilty yesterday to drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

The federal charges against Edward Rife didn't directly involve Ohio State, but the university first learned of the memorabilia sales through the federal investigation into Rife.

Football coach Jim Tressel resigned after it emerged he had known of his players' involvement with Rife and didn't report it to the NCAA or his superiors for more than 9 months.

Rife pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 200 pounds of marijuana.

Rife, 31, could face a prison sentence of 20 years but would likely receive much less under federal sentencing rules.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Kelley said the government is not assisting with either the NCAA or Ohio State investigations into the memorabilia sales. Kelley said there was no evidence Ohio State players were involved in the marijuana operation.

In other college news:

* Alabama coach Nick Saban has indefinitely suspended redshirt freshman wide receiver Keiwone Malone and sophomore defensive lineman Darrington Sentimore. Also, a Florida medical examiner's report says that transfer offensive lineman Aaron Douglas died May 12 as a result of multiple drugs that were found in his system: Methadone, Diazepam and Carisoprodol.

* The Fiesta Bowl has asked 31 Arizona politicians who received free trips or game tickets to explain how they benefited the tax-exempt group, and it said it may ask them to repay the costs if the expenditures can't be justified.

* Representatives for NBA players and owners will meet tomorrow, hours before the collective bargaining agreement expires.

* Former NBA star Antoine Walker has pleaded guilty to passing bad checks in the form of unpaid gambling debts in Las Vegas. He will be put on probation and work toward paying off $750,000.

* Olympic and world 400-meter champion LaShawn Merritt will be on the U.S. roster for worlds in August after USA Track and Field waived a rule that would have prevented him from competing because he missed national championships while serving the end of a doping ban.

* The World Anti-Doping Agency revoked its accreditation for the Turkish doping laboratory that wrongly reported a positive test for American basketball player Diana Taurasi.

* Eight players from Mexico's soccer team for the Copa America were suspended for 6 months, reportedly for violating team training rules by having female guests in their rooms during training.