March 17, 2000 7:38 PM AP

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) Prison should be the penalty for any agent who improperly provided money to Auburn basketball star Chris Porter, according to officials who oversee athletic programs at Alabama's public universities and high schools.

"Until somebody spends time behind bars, I don't think it's going to change," said Marie Robbins, associate athletic director for compliance at Alabama.

By unanimous vote, the Alabama Athlete Agent Regulatory Commission approved a resolution directing the state attorney general's office to prosecute any wrongdoing uncovered in the Porter investigation.

The panel chairman, Rep. Gerald Allen, said the agents should be dealt with first and then any wrongdoing by Porter.

Under Alabama's sports agent law, any athlete who has improper dealings with an agent and fails to notify their school or university can be convicted of a misdemeanor. Player and agent can also be sued for damages, such as any television revenue a university might lose.

"We are going to do everything we can," Allen said.

The commission monitors compliance with the law, which was revised two years ago to make violations by agents a Class B felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The commission administers licensing for 173 sports agents.

David Estes, an assistant attorney general, refused to discuss specifics of Porter's case but said the investigation should be finished within a few weeks. Estes declined to comment about the prospect of the case being taken before a Lee County grand jury that convenes April 10.

The Birmingham News has reported that Las Vegas lawyer Robert J. Walsh is the agent involved in the case that cost Porter his eligibility. The newspaper has reported that middleman Nate Cebrun was working for Walsh when Cebrun wired $2,500 to Porter.

Walsh has not responded to telephone messages seeking comment and Cebrun's whereabouts are unknown.

Porter, once projected as a first-round NBA draft pick, was suspended by Auburn on Feb. 27. The NCAA refused to reinstate the Tigers' leading scorer and an appeals panel upheld that decision.

Commission member Dan Washburn, director of the Alabama High School Athletic Association, told the other members that prep athletes also need to be protected against unscrupulous agents. At Washburn's request, the commission approved a resolution urging officials of the Southeastern Conference and other leagues with members in Alabama to help get laws passed to regulate agents in other states.

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