Shabazz Muhammad's father pleads guilty to federal fraud

Shabazz Muhammad's father was accused of falsifying his age prior to the NBA Draft. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

The father of Timberwolves rookie Shabazz Muhammad has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit federal fraud, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Ronald Holmes, a former USC star shooting guard, withdrew his original plea of not guilty to the May indictment and changed it to guilty on Thursday. Holmes has been under house arrest in the Las Vegas area since his indictment. His sentencing has been set for March 13. Individuals with knowledge of the case reportedly  expect him to receive two to three years of prison time.

Holmes was accused of using other peoples' names on fraudulent mortgage applications and straw buyers to buy and sell homes in the Las Vegas area. He also is charged with filing multiple bankruptcy applications in a scheme to stall foreclosure of the homes.

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Holmes had a prior brush with the law in 2000, when he was sentenced to six months' house arrest for his role in similar mortgage fraud schemes in Los Angeles County.

In March, the Timesreported that Muhammad was in fact a year older than previously listed, a fact that federal prosecutors have pointed to in the fraud case as evidence of Holmes’ character.

Muhammad originally grabbed the spotlight as a highly touted recruit out of high school and played one season at UCLA before being drafted 14th overall by the Timberwolves in 2013.