Now we know a whole lot more to the rest of the story.
Florida State’s Da’Vante Phillips was arrested this past week on five felony charges related to fraud. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the arrest came after the wide receiver reported his wallet stolen to the university police department.
From the Sentinel‘s report:Phillips used white out or another substance to alter the amount of four Western Union checks for $700 each, and deposited $2,800 into his SunTrust bank account at an ATM on Jan. 13. The four Western Union checks, which are similar to money orders, were initially purchased from a local Publix on the same day for a total of $485.89. The difference was $2314.11.
Phillips was identified in Publix security camera footage, wearing the same clothes and identified by his hair during the ATM transaction. He tried to conceal his identity while making the ATM deposit, but was seen walking in front of the camera leaving after the transaction.
When contacting the officer for his wallet, Phillips handed a receipt for 14 transactions from his bank account. The officer then visited SunTrust Bank and Publix, making the connection between the original Western Union check amounts and the checks deposited in Phillips’ account.
As a result of the arrest and charges, Phillips has been indefinitely suspended by the football program.
A four-star member of the Seminoles’ 2015 recruiting class, Phillips was rated as the No. 11 receiver in the country and the No. 17 player at any position in the state of Florida. After playing in 10 games, mainly on special teams, as a true freshman, Phillips caught four passes for 33 yards in the nine games in which he played last season.
Prior to the off-field situation, Phillips was expected to make a bigger contribution to FSU’s offense this season.
