Tulane quarterback TJ Finley, who previously played for both LSU and Auburn, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly possessing a stolen vehicle.
Marco Cartolano of NOLA.com reported that Finley was arrested in New Orleans and booked for possession of stolen property over $25,000. Police were investigating a complaint regarding a parked truck blocking a driveway when they ran the license plate number and found that it didn’t match.
The police report states that the license plate was registered to a different vehicle belonging to Finley and that the truck’s vehicle identification number matched a Dodge Ram that had previously been reported as stolen in Atlanta.
Following Finley’s arrest, Tulane released a statement saying the quarterback had been “suspended from the football program pending the outcome of the case.”
However, Finley’s attorneys, David Courcelle and Scott Stansbury, claim he was the victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg shared their statement.
“TJ Finley was a victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam,” the statement read. “He purchased a used pickup truck from an individual who presented himself as John Spillway, representing Mountain Adventures, LLC. Spillway presented TJ with both a bill of sale and registration, giving TJ every reason to believe the purchase was legitimate. Within three days of the purchase, Tulane police informed TJ that the truck had been reported stolen.
“TJ looks forward to continuing to cooperate fully with the authorities in hopes of recovering the funds he lost, bringing the criminal(s) to justice, and clearing his name and reputation. TJ is hopeful that this process will be completed quickly so that he can move forward with his academics and athletic career.”
Finley currently has a hearing scheduled for June 1.
In addition to Tulane, LSU, and Auburn, Finley has also played for Texas State and Western Kentucky.
