SirFozzie
01-22-2005, 09:01 PM
Six Gamecock players charged with theft
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Six current and former South Carolina football players have been charged with theft after pictures and laptop computers were taken from Williams-Brice Stadium last November.
Offensive lineman Woodly Telfort is charged with grand larceny, a felony. He admitted to investigators he took a $4,000 laptop, according to an arrest warrant.
Quarterbacks Syvelle Newton and Dondrial Pinkins have been charged with a misdemeanor, petit larceny, along with defensive lineman Freddy Saint-Preux and safety Rodriques Wilson.
Arrest warrants say all four players took action photos of themselves from the South Carolina locker room area of the stadium and have confessed to the theft.
A warrant is pending for a sixth player the school did not identify.
A total of $18,000 worth of computer and video equipment and framed photographs were taken from the stadium on Nov. 22, shortly after the Gamecocks were told they would not go to a bowl as punishment for an on-field brawl with Clemson.
``Regrettably, a few of our student-athletes made a very poor decision during the course of a frustrating situation, and they must now face the consequences,'' athletic director Mike McGee said.
Newton is a rising junior and started several games for South Carolina last year. Saint-Preux, who was injured much of this season and Telfort, who saw extensive play as a reserve in 2004, will be seniors next year and have already been suspended for the Gamecocks opener Sept. 1 against Central Florida because of their involvement in the brawl with Clemson.
All three will now be suspended at least until the charges are resolved, McGee said.
Along with criminal charges, Telfort, Newton, Pinkins and Saint-Preux will face disciplinary hearings from the university. Wilson is no longer a student at South Carolina.
All five, speaking to the judge separately through a hole in the bond hearing room's fenced wall, were to be released on bond Thursday night. The players sat beside each other in chairs, waiting their turn, as hearings for eight other people were held on charges ranging from assault to shoplifting.
``These five kids have never been in trouble,'' said Joshua Snow Kendrick, one of the lawyers representing the players. ``They're all model student-athletes. They've been successful on and off the field.''
Kendrick said the players turned themselves in to authorities after university police contacted them with the warrant. ``They want to face these charges,'' Kendrick said.
Both lawyers would not talk about the case any further. The players also said they did not want to talk about the charges.
The three laptop computers and two video projectors taken have been returned, and most if not all of the 12 framed pictures that were missing are back, the school said.
``I regret very much that these incidents occurred, and they certainly cast a negative light on the University of South Carolina,'' university president Andrew Sorensen said in a statement. ``However, I believe that they are in no way indicative of the overall character and behavior of the hundreds of student athletes who represent Carolina in a positive way.''
Under South Carolina law, the six players would be eligible for the pretrial intervention program as long as they are first-time offenders. A prosecutor must agree to allow someone to enter the program, which usually requires community service, and other steps, like counseling or paying restitution, in exchange for clearing the offender's record.
New coach Steve Spurrier said he will support the decisions of campus police and prosecutors as the case moves forward. ``Hopefully we'll never have a situation like this happen again,'' Spurrier said.
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Six current and former South Carolina football players have been charged with theft after pictures and laptop computers were taken from Williams-Brice Stadium last November.
Offensive lineman Woodly Telfort is charged with grand larceny, a felony. He admitted to investigators he took a $4,000 laptop, according to an arrest warrant.
Quarterbacks Syvelle Newton and Dondrial Pinkins have been charged with a misdemeanor, petit larceny, along with defensive lineman Freddy Saint-Preux and safety Rodriques Wilson.
Arrest warrants say all four players took action photos of themselves from the South Carolina locker room area of the stadium and have confessed to the theft.
A warrant is pending for a sixth player the school did not identify.
A total of $18,000 worth of computer and video equipment and framed photographs were taken from the stadium on Nov. 22, shortly after the Gamecocks were told they would not go to a bowl as punishment for an on-field brawl with Clemson.
``Regrettably, a few of our student-athletes made a very poor decision during the course of a frustrating situation, and they must now face the consequences,'' athletic director Mike McGee said.
Newton is a rising junior and started several games for South Carolina last year. Saint-Preux, who was injured much of this season and Telfort, who saw extensive play as a reserve in 2004, will be seniors next year and have already been suspended for the Gamecocks opener Sept. 1 against Central Florida because of their involvement in the brawl with Clemson.
All three will now be suspended at least until the charges are resolved, McGee said.
Along with criminal charges, Telfort, Newton, Pinkins and Saint-Preux will face disciplinary hearings from the university. Wilson is no longer a student at South Carolina.
All five, speaking to the judge separately through a hole in the bond hearing room's fenced wall, were to be released on bond Thursday night. The players sat beside each other in chairs, waiting their turn, as hearings for eight other people were held on charges ranging from assault to shoplifting.
``These five kids have never been in trouble,'' said Joshua Snow Kendrick, one of the lawyers representing the players. ``They're all model student-athletes. They've been successful on and off the field.''
Kendrick said the players turned themselves in to authorities after university police contacted them with the warrant. ``They want to face these charges,'' Kendrick said.
Both lawyers would not talk about the case any further. The players also said they did not want to talk about the charges.
The three laptop computers and two video projectors taken have been returned, and most if not all of the 12 framed pictures that were missing are back, the school said.
``I regret very much that these incidents occurred, and they certainly cast a negative light on the University of South Carolina,'' university president Andrew Sorensen said in a statement. ``However, I believe that they are in no way indicative of the overall character and behavior of the hundreds of student athletes who represent Carolina in a positive way.''
Under South Carolina law, the six players would be eligible for the pretrial intervention program as long as they are first-time offenders. A prosecutor must agree to allow someone to enter the program, which usually requires community service, and other steps, like counseling or paying restitution, in exchange for clearing the offender's record.
New coach Steve Spurrier said he will support the decisions of campus police and prosecutors as the case moves forward. ``Hopefully we'll never have a situation like this happen again,'' Spurrier said.