A former business manager for several professional athletes was arrested on charges he embezzled almost $3 million from Utah Jazz player Mark Jackson, according to the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles.
Bruce Jay Breger, 40, was arrested by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents Thursday on two counts of wire fraud in connection with the alleged theft from Jackson, a 16-year National Basketball Association veteran.
Breger, who was hired by Jackson in 1993, used forged documents to transfer his client's money into his own account, prosecutors said. He used the money to purchase jewelry for his wife and girlfriend and to take trips to Las Vegas, according to court papers. If convicted of all charges, Breger faces 10 years in prison.
The Utah Jazz in October signed veteran point guard Jackson to a one-year contract. Jackson, the 1988 Rookie of the Year, ranks second on the league's all-time list in assists. His teammate John Stockton, who announced his retirement last month after the Jazz fell from the playoffs, is the NBA's career leader in assists.
Jackson has played for the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors in his 16 NBA seasons.
Jackson fired Breger 2001 and sued him in Los Angeles Superior Court in January 2002, alleging embezzlement and destruction of evidence. That case is set for trial in January.
"We're happy to see the criminal justice system is working," said John Moscarino, Jackson's lawyer.
Breger, of Beverly Hills, Calif., was scheduled to make his initial court appearance Thursday and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.