Troubled sports financial adviser Craig Curry filed for bankruptcy a day before he and his lawyer faced potential court sanctions Friday in a lawsuit involving Buffalo Bills cornerback Terrence McGee.
Curry, accused of bilking McGee out of more than $1 million, claimed only his home -- valued at $258,060 -- as a personal asset, while stating he owed more than $764,300, according to documents submitted to U.S. bankruptcy court in Houston on Thursday.
His debts included three 2006 federal tax liens totaling more than $462,000, and he still holds a $225,500 mortgage on his home.
The filing postponed a hearing at Harris County District Court in Houston on Friday, when Judge William R. Burke Jr. was scheduled to determine whether to strike Curry's pleading in the lawsuit, potentially opening the way for a judgment in McGee's favor.
Curry and his lawyer, Rick Molina, also faced potential sanctions for filing a frivolous motion by accusing McGee of not presenting evidence despite numerous files submitted by the player's representatives.
McGee's lawyer, Susan Halpern, said the timing of the bankruptcy filing was "clearly designed" to avoid judgments against Curry and Molina.
"Certainly, those issues will be pursued, when and where remains to be seen," Halpern said. "We're going to continue to seek justice for Terrence McGee, and we're going to get it."
Molina, who doesn't represent Curry in the bankruptcy case, said he knew well in advance of his client's plans to file for bankruptcy, and didn't believe it would affect the lawsuit.
As for the potential sanctions against him, Molina said he couldn't guess which way Judge Burke was going to rule. He then accused McGee's lawyers of refusing to make the player available for a deposition.
McGee filed the lawsuit a year ago, seeking to recoup more than $1 million, which the player said Curry funneled into unauthorized and possibly nonexistent investments.
McGee accused Curry of covering up the theft by making suspicious investments and forging documents to spend $600,000 on what are described as "three worthless -- and likely phony -- stock certificates." Curry also is accused of investing $450,000 in an unknown land development project in the Dominican Republic, which McGee said he didn't know about until September 2006, shortly before he fired Curry.
Molina said the lawsuit is McGee's attempt to get back at Curry for not testifying in the player's favor during an arbitration hearing over a dispute between McGee and his former agent, Terry Bolar. An NFL Players Association-appointed arbitrator ruled in Bolar's favor in April, determining McGee owed Bolar an additional $100,000 for negotiating the player's last contract.
Bolar and current Washington Redskins assistant coach Jerry Gray are also named in the lawsuit. They're accused of conspiring in the scheme and having had opportunity to benefit from it by introducing McGee to Curry who, because of his criminal record, is not licensed to represent NFL players.
Gray was the Bills' defensive coordinator through 2005.
In filing for bankruptcy, Curry stated he owned no personal property, including clothes, cash on hand, stocks, bonds and household goods and furnishings.
Attempts to reach Curry were unsuccessful because his business phones are disconnected and there was no response at the phone number listed for his home address in Houston.
PlunderNPillage 
