UVa players not guilty in beer-theft case
A pair of University of Virginia football players charged with stealing beer from Club 216 were cleared today in Charlottesville General District Court.
Starting right tackle Will Barker and Dave Roberts, a redshirt freshman, faced charges stemming from a July incident at the club in which they were accused of stealing beer.
But Judge Robert H. Downer found the players not guilty.
While acquitted of the theft charge, Roberts pleaded guilty to possession of a fake ID and will enter a pre-conviction probation program as a result of an underage possession of alcohol charge.
Roberts will take part in the same program former UVa quarterback Peter Lalich enrolled in for similar charges. Lalich drank alcohol while in the program and was kicked off the team. He has since left UVa.
Roberts and Barker were picked up at Club 216 on July 26. The club’s security manager alleged that the players stole two beers from the club’s back bar, according to the police report.
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I was at Club 216 that night and watched the whole thing. Long story short- it was a case of two red neck thugs doing what two red neck thugs do best- being red necks and behaving badly. There is absolutely no reason why these two should be let off. Oh, wait! They play football for UVA. I smell something fishy. Maybe someone should check to make sure that the judge wasn’t given free season tickets for dismissing this case. It wouldn’t be the first time.
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