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Former Illinois forward Jereme Richmond facing jail time

richmond

The life of Jereme Richmond took another sad turn on Thursday, as he was found guilty on two of three counts of harassment of a witness in connection with an incident involving his probation officer.

According to the court Richmond, who played one season at Illinois before leaving the school to turn pro, made verbal threats and a shooting gesture in response to the officer’s refusal to allow him to take a makeup drug test instead of requiring him to appear in court for violating the terms of his probation.

Just before the probation office closed on April 25, Richmond came in and wanted to submit a urine test in lieu of the previously missed tests. The probation officer refused him, saying the office was closing for the day and she would see him in court the next morning.

Officials said Richmond, who was upset, told the officer to “be safe. be real safe,” as he was leaving the building. He then waited across the street in his parked car for several minutes before backing out of the spot and making what two secretaries and an IT employee, who were watching out of a window, described as shooting gestures with his hand before circling the office in the car and being pulled over by sheriff’s deputies.


Richmond, who’s been in jail on $250,000 bond since the April 25 incident, will be sentenced on September 26 and faces anywhere from probation to 3-7 years in prison. Richmond’s legal troubles began in August 2011, when he was arrested on a number of charges including battery, possession of a firearm and domestic violence.

That occurred just months after Richmond, who averaged 7.6 points per game in his lone season at Illinois, went undrafted in the 2011 NBA Draft. Richmond was disciplined by then-head coach Bruce Weber on multiple occasions during the 2010-11 season, and those issues played a role in his not being selected. Richmond had a brief stint with the Sauk Valley Predators of the Premier Basketball League this past spring, leaving the team a few weeks before the April incident with his probation officer.

Before leaving the Predators, Richmond told the [Chicago] Tribune he wasn’t focused on getting to the NBA — “I just want to be happy, man” — but hoped to further his basketball career once his probation was over.

Unfortunately for Richmond, his basketball career may be coming to an end.

Follow @raphiellej