A group of five teenage basketball players from the Washington D.C. area, accompanied by their coach, found themselves in an unexpected legal predicament during a summer tournament in Central Florida.
According to investigators, the party entered a 7-Eleven in the early hours of the night and concealed a handful of snacks — including Doritos, gummies, Starburst Minis, a Big Mama sausage, lemonade and Slurpees — before attempting to leave the store.
A vigilant clerk spotted the concealed merchandise and confronted the youths, leading to a brief exchange that ended with the items being recovered and the group being handed over to authorities.
The incident, which took place near the entrance of the Solterra Resorts community, resulted in the arrest of all five players and their coach on multiple counts, ranging from conspiracy to commit retail theft to tampering with evidence and curfew violations.
The Coach's Confession
Coach Malik Abdul Harvey, who is employed by the Department of Juvenile Services at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center, initially attempted to shield his players by providing false statements, but later admitted to the deception and confessed to the crimes.
Authorities have charged the players with conspiracy to commit retail theft, petit theft and curfew infractions, while Coach Harvey faces additional accusations of child neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, accessory after the fact and resisting without violence.
The case highlights how a seemingly minor act of shoplifting can quickly escalate into serious criminal allegations, especially when adults in positions of trust become involved.