Antonio Callaway, Jordan Scarlett among Gators players tagged in fraud case
— -- Wide receiver Antonio Callaway and starting tailback Jordan Scarlett are among nine suspended? Florida Gators players facing multiple third-degree felony charges after a UF Police Department investigation into alleged credit card fraud.
Seven of the suspended players, including Callaway and Scarlett, are facing two third-degree felonies: fraud/swindle in obtaining property under $20,000 and use or possession of another person's ID without consent.
Defensive linemen Keivonnis Davis and Richerd Desir-Jones, linebackers James Houston IV and Ventrell Miller?and wide receiver Rick Wells?also are facing the two third-degree felony counts, according to Alachua County (Florida) Circuit Court records.
"Some of them did it one time, and then some of them have multiple offenses," State Attorney Bill Cervone told ESPN.
Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Jordan Smith?is facing three additional felony counts of use or possession of another person's ID without consent.
Freshman offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort, from Miami, faces multiple felony charges in two separate complaints. According to court records, he faces four third-degree felony charges of passing forged or altered instruments, 12 third-degree felony charges of fraudulent illegal use of a credit card and seven counts of third-degree felony use or possession of another person's ID without consent.
In the other incident, Telfort faces six third-degree felony charges for use or possession of another person's ID without consent and one count of fraud/swindle in obtaining property under $20,000.
The players allegedly used stolen credit card numbers to add money, ranging from totals of $550 to $3,570, to their UF bookstore accounts and then purchased laptop computers, iPads, Beats headphones and speakers, according to the affidavits from UF police.
Scarlett, who was the Gators' leading rusher in 2016, allegedly added money to his girlfriend's UF account, and she told UF police that he told her the "money was from an agent in New York," according to UF police records.
Telfort is also accused of using stolen credit card numbers to pay for food delivery to his dorm on several occasions. In one order, he allegedly charged $22.82 to have Chester's Hot Fries, Funyuns, Gatorade, Sour Patch Kids and Gummi Worms delivered to his dorm.
Smith, who allegedly used the cards to add $3,570 to his bookstore account, is also accused of using the cards to add $1,450 to his UF parking and transportation account. He allegedly used a card to pay $800 in rent, and he faces potential criminal charges in a separate case with the Gainesville Police Department.
None of the players has been criminally charged.
Cervone said his office just received the sworn complaint affidavits from the UF Police Department on Monday morning.
"What they have brought to me is a probable cause statement," Cervone said. "There's a whole lot of background to be checked before any decisions are made."
Florida officials announced Aug. 13 that Callaway and six other players had been suspended from playing in the season opener against Michigan in Arlington, Texas, and then added Scarlett and Wells to the list on Aug. 30. None of the suspended players have appeared in the Gators' first three games.
Asked about the potential charges affecting the players' status with the team, coach Jim McElwain said: "You're darn right."
"Obviously, know this: I really care about those guys," McElwain said. "We're going to do right by them. You're asking me something, which this is the first I've heard about it. Obviously, we sit down as a staff. We sit down as an administration. Obviously, the university first and what that is. Yet at the end of the day, I'll do everything I can to help these guys."
Gators athletic director Scott Stricklin said the program is taking the allegations seriously.
"We obviously took this matter very seriously as evidence by Coach McElwain's decision to suspend the players immediately and indefinitely," Stricklin said in a statement. "We have respected the appropriate process from the beginning and will continue to do so."
The No. 21 Gators host Vanderbilt on Saturday (noon ET, ESPN).
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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