The three UCLA basketball players who were arrested for shoplifting last week remained in China as of Tuesday, and reports have indicated that they could be punished with anything from a slap on the wrist to jail time.
LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill are accused of stealing from several high-end stores at a shopping center in Hangzhou. Shoplifting is a serious offense in China, and U.S. president Donald Trump said Monday that the three freshmen are facing potentially long jail sentences.
Immediately before Air Force One took off, according to radio pool reporter @HorsleyScott, @POTUS mentioned that 3 @UCLAMBB players are facing long sentences for alleged shoplifting in China but President Xi has been helpful with the case.
— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) November 14, 2017
Trump arrived in China for a two-day stay the day after the players were arrested, and he reportedly spoke with Chinese president Xi Jinping about the situation. While there has been talk that the freshmen could spend up to 10 years in a Chinese prison, it sounds like they are going to get off much easier than that.
