CriminalSports: CriminalSports: Convictions

Wed, 06 Nov 2002 00:21:50 GMT

CONVICTED: Jose Canseco, Former MLB

MIAMI -- Associated Press reports Jose Canseco and his twin brother pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges they beat up two men in a nightclub fight, agreeing to probation and community service but avoiding prison time. The Cansecos made the deal while their trial was in jury selection. Jose Canseco agreed to three years' probation, 250 hours of community service and the anger control classes. Ozzie Canseco must complete 18 months' probation, 200 hours of community service and the anger classes.

Jose Canseco pleaded guilty to one count of felony aggravated battery and two counts of misdemeanor battery. His brother pleaded to one count of felony battery and one misdemeanor battery count.

Thu, 24 Oct 2002 21:00:28 GMT

CONVICTED: Jonta Woodward, Louisville Football

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Associated Press reports Louisville offensive lineman Jonta Woodard was sentenced to two years in prison for receiving marijuana in the mail and possessing steroids, but will not serve time behind bars. Woodard will enter a supervised program that will remove the marijuana conviction from his record after five years, prosecutors said Tuesday. Woodard pleaded guilty to receiving 15.1 ounces of marijuana in the mail. The amount necessitated a mandatory trafficking charge.

Thu, 24 Oct 2002 20:42:47 GMT

CONVICTED: Marion Darnell Jones, Sports Agent

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Associated Press reports a former sports agent accused of mishandling the assets of Washington Redskins running back Stephen Davis and other professional athletes pleaded guilty Monday to bank fraud. Marion Darnell Jones, the 40-year-old former president of Summit Management, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of defrauding a bank of $248,000.

The indictment said Jones and Summit vice president James Brown wrongly projected 1997 earnings at more than $5 million. Their projection was "grossly inflated," Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Ruschky said. The prosecution claimed Jones and Brown squandered their clients' money by living extravagant lifestyles, and by spending their earnings on nightclubs and drugs.

Wed, 16 Oct 2002 20:11:58 GMT

PLEA DEAL: Najeh Davenport, Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY -- Packers.com reports Najeh Davenport will enter into a plea agreement next week in a Florida court which will allow him to perform community service in the form of football camps for kids in exchange for the dismissal of charges levied against him following his July 8 arrest. The Green Bay Packers rookie running back was arrested in Miami Shores, Fla., on charges of breaking into the dormitory room of a Barry University woman and defecating in her closet.

Wed, 16 Oct 2002 19:40:12 GMT

CONVICTED: Fulton Walker, Jr., Former NFL

MARTINSBURG, W.Va.-- Associated Press reports former record-setting NFL kick returner Fulton Walker Jr. has been sentenced to six months' home confinement and five years' probation for distributing marijuana from his home. The 44-year-old Martin pleaded guilty in July to charges that he distributed 228 grams of marijuana. Walker must attend a substance abuse and mental health treatment program, and pay a $1,000 fine and all electronic monitoring costs.

Walker played for the Miami Dolphins from 1981-84 and for the Los Angeles Raiders the following year. He set a record with a 98-yard kickoff return in the 1983 Super Bowl against the Washington Redskins.

Wed, 16 Oct 2002 19:34:46 GMT

PLEA DEAL: Cory Sears, Kentucky Basketball

RICHMOND, Ky. -- Associated Press reports former University of Kentucky guard Cory Sears agreed Tuesday to perform 20 hours of community service, after which misdemeanor charges of alcohol intoxication and resisting arrest will be dismissed, his lawyer said. Sears was arrested on Sept. 22 in the parking lot of a Richmond drugstore. According to a police citation, Sears attempted to pull away from the officer who arrested him and in doing so nearly pulled the officer into oncoming traffic.

Sears also faces an Oct. 23 court date in Fayette County on a second-degree stalking charge. He could be fined up to $500 or jailed for up to 12 months if convicted of the misdemeanor charge. Sears was suspended from the Kentucky squad in February after fighting with a teammate on a plane trip from Georgia.

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 21:12:10 GMT

CONVICTION: Derrick Coleman, Philadelphia 76ers

New York, NY -- Sports Network reports Philadelphia 76ers forward Derrick Coleman was suspended for one game without pay by the NBA for pleading no contest to driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor. Coleman was stopped for speeding on July 27 in Farmington Hills and taken into custody after refusing a breathalyzer test. Later tests showed that he had a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent. The legal limit in Michigan is 0.10.

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 20:34:40 GMT

CONVICTED: Kole McKamey, New Mexico Football

ARTESIA, N.M. -- Associated Press reports New Mexico quarterback Kole McKamey was sentenced to 90 days' probation after being ticketed for underage drinking. McKamey pleaded guilty Monday and was sentenced to 90 days in jail. The judge suspended that sentence and placed the 18-year-old McKamey on probation.

Tue, 15 Oct 2002 20:20:33 GMT

PLEA DEAL: Boris Becker, Retired Tennis

STUTTGART, Germany -- Associated Press reports three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker has reached an out-of-court settlement in his tax evasion case, the Stuttgarter Zeitung reported Tuesday. The daily, drawing upon sources involved in the case, said the retired tennis star will be slapped with two years probation and will pay 2.5 million euros (US$2.3 million) in back taxes, plus penalty on the money. A Munich court will dismiss the case following a guilty plea from the tennis star when the trial starts on Oct. 23, according to the report. He was threatened with jail time.

Mon, 07 Oct 2002 19:44:48 GMT

CONVICTED: Deidra Lane, Widow of Fred Lane

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Associated Press reports the widow of NFL running back Fred Lane, who is awaiting trial on charges she murdered her husband, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court to conspiring to commit bank larceny. The agreement, in which Deidra Lane pleaded guilty to a single felony count, was not connected to charges that accuse her of gunning down Fred Lane at their home in Charlotte on July 6, 2000. She has claimed she shot him in self-defense.

Lane wasn't sentenced immediately, but faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In exchange for her guilty plea, the government dismissed a bank larceny charge that also carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to the plea, Lane admitted that between June 15, 1998, and July 1, 1998, she conspired with Natosha Watson, a teller at a Wachovia Bank branch in Charlotte. They stole more than $41,000 from the bank on or about July 1, 1998, according to the agreement.

Wed, 02 Oct 2002 20:20:19 GMT

CONVICTED: Marco Cooper, Former Ohio State Football

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Associated Press reports former Ohio State linebacker Marco Cooper pleaded guilty Tuesday to felony charges of drug possession and carrying a concealed weapon. Cooper was arrested hours after the Buckeyes' intrasquad scrimmage in April. Police found a handgun, ammunition and Ecstasy pills hidden in his sport utility vehicle when he was stopped for a traffic violation. The 20-year-old from Detroit was barred from campus and kicked off the team.

According to the arrest report, Cooper was driving without a license and gave officers permission to retrieve a temporary permit from his glove compartment. The handgun and a plastic bag containing 12 Ecstasy pills were hidden in the center console, police said. An officer found a marijuana pipe in the passenger side door handle, the report said.

He faces two years in prison and $5,000 in fines when sentenced in November.

Tue, 10 Sep 2002 21:51:08 GMT

CONVICTED: Pisa Magele, Northern Arizona

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. -- Associated Press reports former Northern Arizona defensive lineman Pisa Magele pleaded guilty to the rape of a student last December. Magele, 23, faces a minimum 40-year prison term when he's sentenced in Coconino County Superior Court. The victim told campus police that she found a piece of paper in her room after the rape with the name "Pisa" on it and later learned the name belonged to an NAU football player. She saw Magele's picture when she checked the school Web site.

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 22:54:28 GMT

CONVICTED: Shane Lehmann, UCLA Football

LOS ANGELES -- Associated Press reports UCLA guard Shane Lehmann pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge on Tuesday and was suspended for the season opener against Colorado State. The fight happened in May at a bar in Westwood, where the university is located.

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 22:47:30 GMT

CONVICTED: Brian Blades, Former NFL

MIAMI -- Associated Press reports former Seattle Seahawks receiver Brian Blades accepted a plea deal Tuesday which lets him avoid jail time for felony charges stemming from a brawl at a South Beach bar. Blades was charged in July with resisting arrest with violence and battery on a police officer, both third-degree felonies. He also faced charges of disorderly intoxication and obstruction of a police officer, both misdemeanors.

Mon, 09 Sep 2002 22:43:58 GMT

CONVICTED: Bob Bratkowski, Cincinnati Bengals

CINCINNATI -- Associated Press reports Bob Bratkowski is sentenced to four days in jail on a drunk driving conviction but will be allowed to serve the term at his discretion. The offensive coordinator blew a 0.18 when he arrested on Aug. 15.

Sat, 31 Aug 2002 17:46:02 GMT

CONVICTED: Stephon Marbury, Phoenix Suns

PHOENIX -- Arizona Republic reports Suns star Stephon Marbury will spend 10 days in jail and has been suspended without pay from the team's opener in Seattle after pleading no contest Friday to an extreme DUI charge. Marbury was arrested Feb. 8 after police stopped him for speeding. A blood sample revealed he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18 percent. The state's legal limit is 0.08 for DUI and 0.15 for extreme DUI. Typically, DUI sentences are served in Maricopa County's Tent City Jail, which is known as a highly punitive facility in which inmates must wear black-and-white prison garb with pink underwear. Marbury would be eligible for work release after serving at least 48 hours.

Wed, 28 Aug 2002 19:23:23 GMT

CONVICTED: Jarrod Cooper, Carolina Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Associated Press reports Carolina Panthers safety Jarrod Cooper pleaded no contest Tuesday to drunken driving in connection with a one-vehicle accident in February. Cooper was sentenced to a 90-day suspended jail sentence and placed on unsupervised probation for a year. The judge also fined him $800 and ordered him to surrender his driver's license for a year. Defense attorney George Laughrun told the judge that Cooper, 24, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.18 percent at the time of the accident, more than twice the legal North Carolina limit.

Mon, 26 Aug 2002 15:58:56 GMT

SENTENCED: Derek Watson, former NCAA football

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Associated Press reports former South Carolina running back Derek Watson began serving a 10-day jail sentence Monday after a judge ruled he had failed to perform community service related to a marijuana charge. Watson was led away in handcuffs from the Greenville Municipal courtroom after Judge Matt Hawley imposed the sentence.

Thu, 22 Aug 2002 19:43:26 GMT

GUILY PLEA: John W. Gordnick, Jayson Williams associate

FLEMINGTON, N.J. -- Associated Press reports a second man pleaded guilty Thursday to charges he helped cover up Jayson Williams role in the shooting death of a limousine driver and will testify against the former NBA star. John W. Gordnick pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and will avoid prison time. He could have faced nearly 12 years in prison if convicted.

Wed, 21 Aug 2002 15:38:16 GMT

GUILTY PLEA: Sly Williams, former NBA

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Associated Press reports former NBA forward Sylvester "Sly" Williams pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree kidnapping. The one-time New York Knick and Boston Celtic has been held in the Broome County Jail without bail since his arrest in January in connection with two incidents last year. Williams, 44, a first-round draft pick out of Rhode Island by the Knicks in 1979, could face up to five years in prison on the single felony count at sentencing Friday.

Fri, 16 Aug 2002 17:02:19 GMT

CONVICTED: Mike Poepping, former MLB

PIERZ, Minnesota -- Associated Press reports former Minnesota Twins player Mike Poepping spent four months in jail this spring and summer for watching and videotaping his stepdaughter through a two-way mirror in the bathroom over six years. The day after he got out of jail, he was caught trying to get another glimpse of Sara Oldakowski's naked body. Poepping batted .135 in 14 games with Minnesota in 1975.

Thu, 15 Aug 2002 04:02:49 GMT

SENTENCED: Nate Newton, former NFL

DALLAS -- Reuters reports former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Wednesday on federal drug trafficking charges. Newton, 40, a six-time Pro Bowl selection and anchor of offensive lines for three Super Bowl winning Cowboys teams, had pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to distribute marijuana. He has been jailed since his arrest in December 2001.

Sun, 11 Aug 2002 18:47:30 GMT

CONVICTED: Marques Harris, Corey Alexander, Colorado

BOULDER -- Denver Post reports Marques Harris and Corey Alexander, two of four Colorado players charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for providing recruits alcohol before a party, had felony charges dismissed in exchange for pleading guilty to obtaining alcoholic beverages for minors, a class two misdemeanor.

Wed, 07 Aug 2002 18:52:23 GMT

CONVICTED: Benny Sapp, University of Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Des Moines Register reports University of Iowa cornerback Benny Sapp has pleaded guilty to public intoxication, Johnson County court records showed Tuesday. Sapp entered the guilty plea to the simple misdemeanor on Sunday and was fined $100 by Johnson County Magistrate Marsha Bergan, court records show. Sapp still must face charges of interference with official acts and disorderly conduct stemming from his arrest early Sunday morning following a pushing incident with a woman in downtown Iowa City.

Tue, 06 Aug 2002 13:45:14 GMT

SENTENCED: JaRon Rush, former UCLA

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Associated Press reports former UCLA forward JaRon Rush pleaded guilty to drunken driving charges and was sentenced to probation Monday.