A group of eight players from a youth football team in Philadelphia allegedly stole over $2,000 worth of goods from Dick’s Sporting Goods while they were on their way to a national championship game in Florida. This led a local sheriff to criticize the team’s coach, who called for the charges against the young offenders to be dropped.
The players, part of the United Thoroughbreds 14-and-under team, took an Uber to the store in Davenport, Florida, on December 6, just hours before their game at the Prolifix Nationals tournament. This was reported by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Surveillance footage, which was shared by the sheriff’s office, captured the kids entering the store and committing the theft shortly before 11 a.m.
One of the suspects, 15-year-old Marcus Hudgens, was seen waiting in line at the checkout, presumably to get a shopping bag before joining his teammates in the store.
The video showed these young thieves stuffing merchandise into bags as they moved through the aisles.
Dimon Johnson, 15, Mark Bryan, also 15, and 14-year-old Ibn Mahdi Abdul Haq were spotted leaving the store while bypassing the registers, only to be intercepted by a deputy in the parking lot.
Hudgens, along with Elijah Myers, Timir Speller, Timir Smith, and Jacob Scott, were confined inside the store and subsequently arrested.
Abdul Haq was accused of pilfering items from a backpack, while Bryan was seen holding a store bag. Speller had been caught concealing a stolen beanie in his pants.
In total, the group is believed to have stolen 47 items, adding up to $2,296.07. This haul included a $135 Nike hoodie, a $125 women’s running jacket, two Under Armor hoodies priced at $110 each, and football gloves worth $70 each.
The sheriff, Grady Judd, remarked, “These boys aren’t from Polk County; they came from Philadelphia for a tournament. Instead of showing pride, they chose theft. They are thoroughbred thieves.” He affirmed that, regardless of where individuals come from, violations of law would lead to arrests and accountability.
During the arrest process, the team’s coach, Lekwon Bynes, arrived at the store and made a plea to the officers and store personnel to release the players. Judd stated that the coach seemed more focused on avoiding consequences for the kids than holding them accountable.
Judd recounted, “The coach insisted, ‘Don’t arrest me, just drop the charges and let me go,'” adding that there was no trivial offense here—these youngsters had stolen a significant amount of merchandise. When the prospect of arrest became evident, the coach questioned if there was anything more important for the officers to do than arrest the kids.
He also pointed out, “In Polk County, Florida, theft and burglary are taken seriously,” emphasizing that the teens faced serious charges, including third-degree felony retail theft and conspiracy stemming from theft over $750.
They were taken to the Juvenile Identification Center, missing out on their championship game, which saw the Cocoa Tigers U-14 beat the Thoroughbreds 26-6.
Judd concluded, half-jokingly uncertain if any of the teens were starters, stated, “But we were the finishers, and we arrested them.” He then addressed the coach, suggesting he was clearly out of line, calling him “the ultimate loser.”
