November 14, 2002 DETROIT (AP) -- Chris Webber's lawyer filed a motion in federal court Wednesday asking a judge to throw out federal charges the player lied to a grand jury about his involvement with former Michigan booster Ed Martin. Webber's request, filed in U.S. District Court and reported in Thursday's editions of The Detroit News, also disclosed that he told the grand jury he had taken money from Martin, but Webber couldn't remember if he did so while playing at Michigan. Webber also told the grand jury on Aug. 2, 2000, that he could not recall how much money he received from Martin, who has pleaded guilty to federal charges of money laundering. Webber, his father and an aunt were indicted Sept. 9 on charges of obstruction of justice and making false statements to a grand jury. All three have pleaded innocent. Defense attorney Steven Fishman said the government's case against Webber was vague. ``The government was unable to specify even one answer in the indictment as being allegedly false,'' according to Fishman's filing. Federal prosecutors declined to comment Wednesday on Webber's attempt to have the indictment dismissed. Martin has said he gave a total of $616,000 to Chris Webber, three other ex-Michigan players and their families.
If C-Webb gets out of this, that lawyer of his deserves a huge chunk of change. C-Webb makes a nice juice target: the elephant the prosecutors can put on their wall, if the NCAA doesn't do so first.
