A “stupid plan” is certainly what I would call this as three Illinois football players were arrested as part of a home invasion that didn’t go as planned.
In addition to the actual robbery being a stupid thing to do, their plan really fell apart as the person they were robbing recognized one of the players. The football players, Sophomore OL Darta Lee, Sophomore WR Zarrian Holcombe and Freshman DT Howard Watkins wore masks to hide their appearance but the victim recognized one of them when they spoke.
Knowing their robbery attempt was falling apart, one of them took off his mask to try and make it into a joke but someone else produced what would be a fake gun and took the person’s money. Officers said that the victim led them to Lee which led to Holcombe and Watkins and the three of them were arrested.
“Three individuals entered an apartment masked and the victim recognized one of them by voice,” Champaign police Lt. Dave Shaffer said. “He pulled his mask off and tried to make light of the situation. One of them produced what we now know to be fake firearm and demanded cash.”
If convicted, the three of them could be going to jail for a while. Even if the gun is fake and they wouldn’t be charged with armed robbery, committing a home invasion is a “Class X” felony in Illinois that would still carry a prison sentence from six to 30 years.
[News-Gazette/Photo: News-Gazette]
