Topic: FYI for HerdUSA

[W0lfman]

Gamecocks charged in locker room theft

Gamecocks charged in locker room theft

Six current and former South Carolina football players were charged Thursday in Columbia, S.C., with stealing $18,000 worth of equipment 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. Wilson is no longer a student at USC, and Pinkins has completed his eligibility.

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.

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.

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.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050121/SPORTS/501210352/1025