Chicago Steam ABA Basketbal/ l Ron Hicks CEO Promises Basketball Opportunity and demands deposit for 1085.00 for housing and european trip. Takes your money & they scam you & don't return your money! Chicago Illinois

My son was referred to the Chicago Steam Basketball team of the ABA!  Mr. Hicks contacted Mr. Howard Brown the CEO of IBall United. A very reputable scouting service in Pennsylvannia looking for players.  After reviewing my sons web page which included game video and Mr. Brown's reccomendation Mr. Hicks offered my son a contract!  The offer included a salary for every game played and housing.  Ron Hicks explained that he would need a deposit of $1,085.00 to reserve my sons spot. The deposit was 700.00 for housing and 385.00 for a trip to Sweden and partake in a basketball exhibition for European Coaches for future opportunities at the end of the season! 

All the red flags were there! Mr. Hicks kept delaying my sons start date! This of course after my checks were cashed! Finally after a month of delays, my son was told to come to Chicago. When he arrived he was told his apartment was still not ready! The Steam did put him up in a Red Roof Inn for 3 days.  Now on the fourth day he still has not even laced up his sneakers! At this time Mr. Howard Brown contacted Ron Hicks and voiced his concerns and Ron Hicks became very defensive with my son and told him he owed him nothing! Also my son did go to one of the Steams games and including himself there were 19 players! Another red flag! Now ,since the promised apartment wasn't ready yet, my son was forced to stay with some friends in Chicago and park in a garage! At this time his car was broken into and all of his stuff was stolen! If he would have been in the promised apartment he would not have lost all of his belongings!

Then Ron Hicks told my son on the 5th day to go to practice the next day with the South Suburban College Mens Basketball team and the Chicago Steam would evaluate if he was good enough! Which believe it or not we had no problem with! Needless to say after a 3 hour practice no coaches from the Chicago Steam showed up!  Finally my son and I agreed that enough was enough! Ron Hicks agreed to terminate the contract and refund my 1085.00 deposit plus travel expenses. This was on 11-18-14.  After 2 months of patiently waiting for the money orders that never came, I will be taking legal and civil actiion against The Chicago Steam and CEO Ron Hicks! This organization is fraudulent and should be looked at as so!