Ohio State Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star cornerback Gareon Conley got hit with some absolutely shocking allegations ahead of the 2017 NFL Draft when a woman accused him of rape. Conley has continually fought the charges over the past five years and this week, he was vindicated by winning a malicious prosecution countersuit against his accuser.

After courts declined to indict Conley after the initial accusations, Gareon Conley brought a countersuit against the woman for malicious prosecution. A jury ruled in Conley’s favor in the countersuit, deciding that the woman pursued criminal charges against him without probable cause that he assaulted her.

As a result of the decision, the court ordered the accuser to pay Conley $300, including $100 in punitive damages, as well as attorney fees. It’s a modest amount of money considering the charges, but according to Conley’s lawyer John Camillus, he just wanted to clear his name.

“It was never about the money. It was always about clearing his name and restoring his reputation,” Camillus said according to Cleveland.com. “Nobody wants to be accused of a crime they did not commit. All the more so when it’s a crime as serious and as vile as rape and all the more so when you are in the public spotlight as Gareon is.”

Conley was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He is currently a free agent as he continues to rehab an injury sustained during the 2020 season.

[Cleveland.com]