Hearing scheduled for freshman Darrien Boone, QB calls fraud charge 'an accident and a mistake'
Suspended freshman quarterback Darrien Boone has a show cause hearing on Feb. 6 in the case against him involving the use of a stolen credit card in November.
His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 13 and he faces up to four years incarceration and $5,000 in fines.
Boone was suspended indefinitely from the Central Michigan football team immediately following his arrest. The 19-year-old said he still hopes he can play football for CMU as soon as next season.
“I really like CMU. It was a good fit for me,” Boone said. “I just got caught up in a bad situation. It was an accident and a mistake. I wish I would have never seen (the credit card) on the ground.”
The freshman was arraigned Nov. 20 on one count of stealing and retaining a financial transaction device without consent, a felony, according to Isabella County court records.
According to a court affidavit, Boone and fellow CMU student Dejuan Smith found the credit card on Nov. 1 in the parking lot of off-campus apartment complex Lexington Ridge.
A few hours later, security cameras caught Boone and Smith using the card to purchase $71.15 at a Shell gas station and $17.99 at Rally’s in Mount Pleasant.
According to the affidavit, Boone was wearing CMU athletic attire while the fraudulent activity occurred.
“As of right now, (Boone) is still indefinitely suspended,” said Rob Wyman, director of athletic communications at CMU. “We will evaluate his standing with the team after his sentencing.”
Wyman declined to comment on if the department has had contact with Boone since his arrest.
“We need to let the system in the courts play out and then we will go from there,” he said.
Boone said he misses participating with the team and “can’t wait,” to get back to football.
“I’ve had a good connection with all the players,” Boone said. “Coach (Dan Enos) is cool. Where I’m from, you don’t get to talk to the big time football coaches all that much. You can do that (at CMU) – talk to them about your problems and whatnot. You get a good chance to keep it real with everybody.”
Boone was released on $1,000 cash bond and was allowed by Judge Thomas Brookover to return to his native Chicago during winter break.
