webber pleads guilty

[superheadcat]

Webber pleads guilty to criminal contempt

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Associated Press


DETROIT -- Sacramento Kings star Chris Webber pleaded guilty Monday to a lesser charge of criminal contempt in a deal that is expected to allow him to avoid prison time.


Webber had been charged with lying to a federal grand jury about money authorities say he received from former Michigan basketball booster Ed Martin.


Jury selection in Webber's federal perjury had been scheduled to begin Tuesday.


In the agreement with prosecutors, Webber will face a fine. U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds will decide whether the charge is a felony or a misdemeanor. Sentencing was set for Sept. 16.


Charges against the former Michigan player's father, Mayce Webber Jr., are expected to be dropped, Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Convertino said.


Chris Webber left the courtroom Monday without talking to reporters.


Martin, who died Feb. 14 at age 69, pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to launder money. He admitted he took gambling money, combined it with other funds and lent it to several players while they were in school.


The retired autoworker said he loaned $616,000 to Webber and three other Wolverines players -- Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock -- while they were amateurs. Martin said he gave Webber and his family $280,000 from 1988-93, a period extending from his freshman year in high school through his sophomore season at Michigan.


Webber had told the grand jury investigating Martin's dealings that he took money from Martin in high school, but could not remember if he took money in college.


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[Chiwas]

And what about the NBA, now that he pleaded guilty?

What is the NBA going to do with Webber?

Yeah, yeah, I know: nothing at all.

[Mavs_Rule2003]

yeah NBa is not gonna spoil a star!..i think KObe matter will be quite after sometimes too!..nobody will pay much attention to it after a week or two from now.

[Drbio]

Chickencrap DA buckled to the stardom factor. It really is unfortunate. Had it been you or I that did the exact same thing we would have been saying goodbye to liberty.

[mavsfanforever]

Nba will probably suspend him for 3 games at the most. I just hope fans do not vote him for ALL-STAR, thereby showing their thoughts on him.

[kg_veteran]

Isn't this what always happens? If it ends up that Kobe actually did something wrong, they'll downgrade the charge from aggravated sexual assault to misdemeanor assault and battery, or somesuch. And he'll do community service and we'll all hear about how this process has made him a better man, and so forth and so on.

Of course a man wouldn't assault a woman, but that fact will be conveniently ignored.

When you're a celebrity, you can get away with murder. Literally.

[one long blue sock]

Originally posted by: Drbio
Chickencrap DA buckled to the stardom factor. It really is unfortunate.

I don't think it is unfortunate at all, i would hate for ANYONE to have to go to jail, unless they committed rape, murder, or something of that sort. Now i can understand somebody thinking that he deserves it, or some lesser punishment. But to WANT him to go to jail, i don't see why.

[MFFL]

I want Webber to go to jail because having money and fame shouldn't get him a better deal than ordinary folks. I guarantee that if >I< had done something like that the sentence would be a lot different.

[MavKikiNYC]

I'm predicting lots of sympathy calls next season for She-Webb, from referees implicated in the tax evasion scheme.

[Drbio]

sock- please read MFFL's response. I cannot add to it.