Former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett will spend at least 3 1/2 years in prison after pleading guilty Monday to charges of aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon.
Jury selection for the Jan. 1 aggravated robbery was scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Monday at the Franklin County Municipal Court. After more than a three-hour delay, the prosecutors, defense and Clarett emerged from a back room to announce the deal.
“I’d like to apologize for my behavior and I accept the time that was given to me,” said Clarett, 22, who helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2002 National Championship, scoring the winning touchdown in the second overtime of the Fiesta Bowl.
Clarett was sentenced to a total of 7 1/2 years for the Jan. 1 aggravated robbery charge and the Aug. 9 weapons charges after a high-speed chase with police.
Clarett looked at his mother several times during the proceedings. She held his 8-week-old daughter and cried as the verdict was read.
Clarett’s girlfriend also attended.
A victims’ rights advocate from the Franklin County Prosecutor’s office read a statement from both victims of the robbery, who wished to avoid media attention.
“Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way,” the advocate said. “We have prayed for you and will
continue to pray for you.”
Had both cases gone to trial, Clarett could have faced a total of 34 years in prison, Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien said.
“It’s been a sobering experience for Maurice to say the least,” said his attorney Nick Mango. “He’s come to terms with certain things.”
Clarett’s attorneys, Mango and Michael Hoague, said they hope their client can serve his time at a state prison with workout facilities so he can stay in shape for a possible return to pro football.
Franklin County Assistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said Clarett received no special treatment.
“As robberies go, it wasn’t as bad as some of them,” Mitchell said. “He had no prior record, except for a couple minor issues.”
Kevin Veal, a friend of Clarett’s, was in the audience, and said he plans to write Clarett in prison and visit him soon.
“With everything that I know about him, all of this (the incidents) seemed kind of unorthodox,” he said. “I think he learned his lesson. I think he realized the problem he caused and feels remorse about the situation.”
Clarett sat out the 2003 season after he was charged with falsifying a police report.
He then dropped out of school and sued the NFL in an attempt to enter the draft. He lost the case, but was drafted in the third round of the 2005 draft by the Denver Broncos, but was cut him during the preseason.
