Todd Leary, once a fan favorite on Indiana University’s 1992 Final Four team and later a youth coach, is now waiting to hear his punishment in a felony fraud case. On Wednesday, May 27, 2026, the 54-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of felony fraud tied to nearly $50,000 a parent paid for private coaching and a promised AAU travel team that prosecutors say never materialized. Leary was originally charged last fall following a Carmel Police Department investigation.
Plea entered and next court date
According to The Indianapolis Star, Leary entered his guilty plea in Hamilton County Superior Court to a single count of felony fraud. A sentencing hearing was set, bringing to a close the question of whether the case would go to trial after what prosecutors describe as a run of payments and promises stretching across 2024 and 2025.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
Investigators and court filings say Leary gained the family’s trust by offering private basketball training, pledging to build an AAU team around the player and pointing to his college coaching connections. Over time, he allegedly kept coming back for more money.
From January 2024 through February 2025, the parent wrote checks totaling $48,900 for what was described as a “lifetime” training package, tournaments, uniforms and gym fees, as detailed by WBIW. Police say that when they checked with some of the outside organizations Leary named, those groups reported having no record of any payments or involvement.
Leary's prior legal history
This is not Leary’s first trip through Indiana’s criminal courts. He pleaded guilty in 2010 in Allen County in a case involving misappropriation of title insurance escrow funds and later served time. Coverage of his 2025 arrest also pointed to other prior matters.
The earlier Hamilton County complaint in the current case listed multiple Level 6 felony counts before his plea to a single count, according to WFIU/WTIU News.
What a Level 6 felony means
Under Indiana law, a Level 6 felony is the lowest felony category but still carries real prison time. The sentencing range runs from six months to two and one-half years, with an advisory sentence of one year and a possible fine of up to $10,000. In some situations, courts can convert a Level 6 felony to a Class A misdemeanor at sentencing. Those guidelines are laid out in the state’s Indiana Code.
What comes next
With the guilty plea now on the record, the case heads back to Hamilton County court for sentencing, which stands as the next major public step. Local reporting notes that prosecutors and defense attorneys did not immediately offer further comment on how they will approach that hearing.
