Players suspended indefinitely after fraud charges are filed; four others also charged
On the morning of Sept. 6, three Colorado State University football players were suspended indefinitely after being charged with bank fraud and will not play in the highly anticipated game against CU on Saturday.
Arrest warrants were issued Tuesday night for CSU players Brian Abata, Micah Crews and Robert Herbert. According to a press release from the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office, the charges against the players are class four and five felonies ranging from identity theft to forgery.
Larimer County officials are still probing the matter, and Larimer County District Attorney spokeswoman Linda Jensen said few details can be revealed until the investigation is complete.
“Not too much can currently be said about this case because it is an ongoing investigation,” Jensen said in a telephone interview.
Arrest warrants were also issued for former CSU players Daniel Foster and Tramell McGill, as well as Preston Garcia and Callee Jo Chlebon.
If convicted, all suspects could face one to six years in prison, Jensen said.
In a separate press release issued to the public this morning by CSU, head coach Sonny Lubick stated, “We take these charges very seriously. Because of the nature of these allegations, the players involved have temporarily been suspended from the football team pending the outcome of the police investigation.”
Lubick did not make any comment on how this will affect the CSU Rams’ performance for the game on Saturday. No one from the CU athletic department was available for comment on if or how this could impact Saturday’s game.
However, Lubick did made it clear that he and the rest of the coaching staff will assist the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office as much as possible.
“We will cooperate fully with this ongoing investigation. This type of behavior is not tolerated in our program,” Lubick said.
This has been an ongoing investigation since November of last year and went on to a grand jury in February, Jensen said.
It has not been said who has been taken into custody at this time. Once in custody all seven individuals will be held on a $2,500 bond. It is also unknown when they will appear in court.
Keep checking back for updates as more details become available.
