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Prank Calls Lead to Criminal Charges for L.A. Man

Posted by Vitaly Sigal | Dec 30, 2013 | 0 Comments

Criminal charges have been filed against a Los Angeles man who is believed to have called big-name coaches with phony job offers and recorded the subsequent conversations.

NBC News reports that Kenneth Edward Tarr (32) was arrested by LAPD detectives under suspicion of illegally recording phone conversations with a number of sports figures without their permission. In California, the law prohibits recording people without their consent.

Prosecutors filed an official charge of felony eavesdropping against Tarr, who faces a maximum jail sentence of 3 years if convicted.

According to NBC, Tarr allegedly called several high-profile coaches and claimed to be representing various college and professional teams, stating that they were looking for new head coaches. The resulting conversations were allegedly recorded and publicized.

It seemed that Tarr not only sought to hoax coaches, but also wanted to call attention to himself and his actions. A writer for the sports website Deadspin received an email in October 2013 from someone called Kenny Tarr, with a subject line reading “Hi I hoaxed Tony Dungy.” The email stated that Tarr had made phone contact with Golden State Warriors head coach Mark Jackson, Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden and several college football coaches, including David Shaw and Mike Riley.

“I'm amazed that they're returning any of these calls,” the email stated, as well as, “I'm like the world's safest criminal.”

Tarr also told KNBC sports anchor Fred Roggin in November that he thought of himself as the “new frontier of broadcast journalism and sports media,” NBC reports.

Sources familiar with the investigation said that at least a dozen coaches were alleged victims of the prank calls and illegal eavesdropping. The coaches are from the NFL, NBA and college football teams and include Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier, San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and University of Hawaii Coach Norm Chow.

About the Author

Vitaly Sigal

Vitaly Sigal Sigal Law Group Owner 355 S. Grand Ave, Suite 2450 Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213) 620-0212 Vitaly Sigal has extensive trial experience and is not afraid to take your case to trial if necessary. From straightforward to complex litigation, Mr. Sigal handles every case with the same i...

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