Four University of Georgia football players were arrested Monday and charged with multiple counts of theft by deception.
According to the Athens-Clarke County jail booking report, receiver Uriah LeMay is facing four misdemeanor counts, starting safety Tray Matthews is charged with three and Defensive linemen James DeLoach and Jonathan Taylor are facing two charges each.
According to the report, LeMay was released on bonds totaling $6,000, Matthews for $4,500, and DeLoach and Taylor for $3,000 each.
The University of Georgia Police claim that three of the players deposited checks recieved from the UGA athletic association on their mobile phone banking apps and used the same ones again at a local convenience store, effectively cashing the checks twice. LeMay also used a roommate's processed check at a convenience store.
UGA Athletic Association discovered the fraud during its routine accounting practises and brought it to the attention of the police.
"Their financial division noticed that these checks were being processed twice," UGA Police Chief Jimmy Williamson. "I got contacted by a senior administrator from the athletic association about the matter to file an official report and investigate. They get audited and they have to show fraud and account for fraud."
"Two, there's a compliance issue because these players are basically being compensated, or received extra benefits, so to speak. They need to document all this so it wouldn't appear as though the athletic association had done it," the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Georgia football coach Mark Richt was aware of the arrests but did not reveal the disciplinary actions that would be taken against the players. According to 'Comprehensive Action Plan' in UGA's Student-Athlete handbook, 'the Head Coach is responsible for imposing whatever discipline measures he/she deems appropriate.'
"It will be handled in an appropriate way," Richt said.
Last season, Matthews compiled 36 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception in eight games; Taylor had nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack in 10 games, while DeLoach had four tackles in five games, Times Free Press reports.
