A 27-year-old Washington, DC-area AAU basketball coach and five of his players were arrested after $37.60 worth of items were stolen from a Florida 7-Eleven. The coach and players had come to Davenport, Florida, as members of the Run It Up travel basketball program.
The alleged theft occurred just after 4 a.m. last Thursday, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. The five basketball players, all 16 and 17-years-old, allegedly concealed several items before leaving the store without paying, according to deputies.
The teens allegedly fled after a store clerk approached them about the theft. Three of the boys were later discovered by deputies close to the Solterra Resort entrance where the team was staying. The deputies reported that they had attempted to conceal their stolen items in a rucksack and hide it in some bushes. The items included Doritos, gummies, Starburst Minis, a Big Mama sausage, lemonade, and grape and orange Slurpees.
The coach initially denied recognizing the players in 7-Eleven security footage
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said they contacted the coach and requested that he review security footage to identify the other two teen suspects. The coach claimed he didn’t recognize the boys in the video. They were later caught and arrested without his help.
The coach later admitted that he knew the other two suspects in the video and was trying to protect them. Another coach, however, identified her son as taking part in the theft.
“We had three in custody, he denied knowing who the other two were. He resisted us when he did not cooperate with the investigation, when he directly lied, when he misled us,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a video statement.
“Of course, he knew who they were, but he lied to us. Did I tell you he works for the Department of Juvenile Services in Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Maryland? That’s right. So he works in the criminal justice system, and he lied to us.”
The authorities charged each of the five teens with conspiracy to commit retail theft, tampering with evidence, petit theft, and violation of the county curfew ordinance for juveniles. Deputies charged the coach with child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, accessory after the fact, and resisting without violence.
For $37.60 worth of items.