Bank fraud conviction of former Michigan basketball star Rumeal Robinson upheld
An appellate court has upheld the conviction of former University of Michigan basketball star Rumeal Robinson for bank bribery and wire fraud, the Des Moines Register reported.
Robinson sought to have the conviction and sentence overturned because U.S. District Judge Ronald Longstaff had refused his request for a change in legal counsel the day of his trial, the newspaper reported. Robinson also claimed the judge had improperly considered Rumeal's lack of contrition in handing down the sentence.
The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected those claims.
Robinson, who is best known for making two clutch free throws to secure the 1989 NCAA championship, played for Michigan from 1987-90 and averaged 14.5 points and 5.8 assists per game.
He is serving a 6 1/2-year term in a South Carolina prison for bank bribery and wire fraud.
Comments
rocco
Fri, Dec 9, 2011 : 10:04 p.m.
This is a very sad story. Rumeal was a Prop 48 player in basketball who proudly went on to graduate from UofM. Proposition 48 was implemented in 1985. It stated that any student-athlete who did not have an S.A.T. score of at least 700 or 15 on the American College Test, and a grade-point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, could be granted a scholarship, but would not be allowed to play or practice with the team in his freshman year and would lose that year of eligibility. Born in Jamica and abandoned by his mother, Rumeal was a foster kid who ended up swindling his American host mother out of her family home in Cambridge. How did he go so wrong? His host mother says she still loves him but wants her house back. I wonder if his former UofM basketball coach stayed in touch with him. He gave us a lot and we gave him a lot. You never know what other people need. I wonder if anyone at Michigan who knew him and supported him ever asked him how he saw his future beyond Michigan and basketball.
7718
Wed, Dec 7, 2011 : 12:04 a.m.
But he's a Michigan Man
Sallyxyz
Tue, Dec 6, 2011 : 9:47 p.m.
Where is the photo of Robinson?? As usual, it's missing in action. Sloppy reporting.
Sallyxyz
Tue, Dec 6, 2011 : 9:46 p.m.
Hope the punishment fits the crime.
RJA
Tue, Dec 6, 2011 : 7:34 p.m.
It is what it is, 6 1/2 years for the games he played, now he pays.