LiAngelo Ball and UCLA teammates could face 3-10 years in prison if convicted of shoplifting, according to Chinese lawyers.
Authorities believe that LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill shoplifted from a Louis Vuitton store near the UCLA team hotel outside of Shanghai. Police arrived early Tuesday morning at the Hyatt Regency in Hangzhou, the players were arrested Tuesday after local law enforcement came to the team hotel and questioned both UCLA and Georgia Tech players before taking the three away. (ESPN reported)
Ball, Riley and Hill were taken to the police station in Hangzhou, where they were kept for a number of hours. UCLA representatives, including coach Steve Alford, were at the police station along with the players.
LaVar Ball said, “I’m going to wait until I get more intel on what’s going on” before he comments on LiAngelo Ball’s arrest but said he’s not worried. “He’ll be fine,” he said. “Everyone’s making it a big deal. It ain’t that big a deal.” pic.twitter.com/E7QuMaMsNU
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) November 8, 2017
The players were released around 4 a.m. Wednesday and were staying at a luxury hotel in Hangzhou along with a UCLA representative, according to a source. They are being required by Hangzhou police to remain at the hotel until the legal process is over, the source said.
The University is cooperating fully with local authorities on this matter, and we have no further comment at this time.
The Bad News
The three men could be detained for more than a month without American-style bail before local prosecutors even decide whether to press charges. Nee said it is not uncommon for a defendant to wait 30-37 days before being officially indicted. Among those indicted, Chinese prosecutors enjoy a 99.2 percent conviction rate.
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