Ex-Cats Davender, Miller face more charges in alleged UK ticket scam

By Ashlee Clark / aclark@herald-leader.com

More Information

Similar stories:

Ex-Wildcat Davender accused of promising tickets to Final Four
Ex-Wildcat Davender accused of promising tickets to Final Four

Already facing sentencing on 19 counts of theft by deception, former University of Kentucky basketball star Ed Davender is accused of taking money for 2010 Final Four tickets he didn't have.
Davender, 44, of Georgetown is accused of offering Richard Adams tickets to the 2010 men's Final Four in Indianapolis in early April. At the time he allegedly offered Adams the tickets, Davender was free on bond for the earlier charges.
On Wednesday, an arrest warrant was filed in Fayette District Court charging Davender with theft by deception under $10,000, a felony.
Ex-Wildcat Millar pleads guilty in UK ticket scam
Ex-Wildcat Millar pleads guilty in UK ticket scam

Former University of Kentucky basketball standout Derrick Millar pleaded guilty Thursday to five counts of theft by deception for selling people season tickets that he didn't have.
The Commonwealth's Attorney's office recommended a sentence of three years in prison for one count of felony theft by deception of more than $500, 12 months each for four counts of misdemeanor theft by deception less than $300, and restitution of $13,500. Three other counts of theft by deception were dismissed.
"I promised people some tickets," Millar told Fayette Circuit Judge Kimberly Bunnell. Sentencing for Millar will be April 23.
Ex-Wildcat Davender sentenced to 8 years for ticket scam
Ex-Wildcat Davender sentenced to 8 years for ticket scam

Former University of Kentucky basketball star Ed Davender was sentenced to eight years in prison Friday on numerous charges related to a UK basketball ticket scam in which victims lost tens of thousands of dollars.
"I hate it. I hate it. I hate it for Mr. Davender and his family," said Fayette Circuit Judge James Ishmael before sentencing Davender. The judge said he also hated how the situation had affected the UK community.
"I really, really hate it for the victims in this case," the judge said.
Ex-Cat Miller pleads guilty
Ex-Cat Miller pleads guilty

Floyd County: Former University of Kentucky basketball star Derrick Miller pleaded guilty to a charge of theft by deception on Friday in Floyd County. The charge is one of many charges stemming from an alleged scam in which Miller was accused of accepting payment in advance for UK basketball game tickets when he had no tickets to sell.
Miller got a one-year sentence, which was probated, and was ordered to pay $1,800 in restitution, said Christopher Hunt, his attorney. Miller has been charged in at least 12 Kentucky counties scam. The total amount involved is more than $42,000.
In Fayette County, Davender pleads guilty in UK ticket scam
In Fayette County, Davender pleads guilty in UK ticket scam

A former University of Kentucky basketball player pleaded guilty in Fayette Circuit Court on Friday to selling people season basketball tickets he didn't have.
Ed Davender pleaded guilty to 22 counts of theft by deception, Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson said.
Investigators said Davender took money from 19 people in Fayette County between May 2003 and August 2009, promising them tickets in return. The amount of money stolen ranged from $300 to $23,900, court records show.

Criminal charges continue to accumulate against two former University of Kentucky basketball players accused of conducting ticket scams throughout the state.

The men's cases began in Fayette County and have trickled into four other counties. But to this point have not said the two worked together in the alleged scam.

Ed Davender's latest charges were filed Tuesday when he was indicted by a Harrison County grand jury on three counts of theft by deception over $300. The indictment says Davender, 43, of Georgetown created a false impression to deprive James Rose of J. Dustin Rose Insurance, Inc. of more than $300.

The indictment does not provide further details about that case, and Rose did not return calls for comment.

Derrick Miller, 42, of Lexington, was indicted Oct. 29 in Floyd County on a charge of theft by deception. According to the indictment, Miller sold an unidentified woman two 2008-09 men's basketball season tickets for $1,800 "with intent to deprive her thereof, failing to deliver said tickets and knowing that no such tickets would be available for him to sell."

Lexington attorney Stephen McFayden, who represents Davender, said he hadn't seen a copy of the indictment and couldn't comment on the charges. Miller's attorney, Steven Wides, could not be reached for comment.

Davender was initially arrested Sept. 1 on three counts of theft by deception after three people told Lexington police they gave Davender a total of $5,846 after he offered to sell them tickets for the 2009-10 season that he never gave them, according to court records. Davender was also charged with having a prescription not in the proper container and trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and McFayden has said that the allegations are a "big misunderstanding." That case has been sent to the Fayette County grand jury.

Miller was charged in a similar alleged ticket scam with one count of theft by deception in Lexington a week after Davender.

In addition to the Lexington charges, Miller has been charged for alleged ticket scams in Clark, Bell and Floyd counties. Miller is being held in the Clark County jail.

Both Miller and Davender worked for Kentucky Sports History at one time, and both were fired for trying to sell tickets to advertisers, president Todd Ferguson has said.

Kentucky Sports History is a season-recap book produced annually and distributed to schools. It hires former Wildcat basketball players as independent contractors to sell ads for the book.

Davender was a UK guard from 1984-88, and Miller played at UK from 1986-90. The two men were teammates during Miller's first two seasons at UK.

During his senior year at UK, Miller was captain and leading scorer for Rick Pitino's first Kentucky team. That year, Miller set the UK record he still holds for most three-point attempts in one season, with 298. He made 99 of those shots, the third-most in one season.

According to UK's basketball media guide, Miller recently earned his degree in social work thanks to the Cawood Ledford Scholarship Fund.

Davender is 11th on UK's all-time men's scoring list, with 1,637 career points and fourth in career steals with 191. He played his first season under Coach Joe B. Hall and his final three under Eddie Sutton. He was chosen in the third round of the 1988 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, but he never played in the pro league.

Reach Ashlee Clark at (859) 231-1443 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 1443.