Two Western Michigan University football players have been suspended from the Bronco football team following felony criminal charges that could land them both in prison for life. Linebacker Ron George and wide receiver Bryson White are accused of teaming up and breaking into a woman’s apartment, where they allegedly threatened her with weapons and robbed her. They are charged with home invasion and armed robbery.
The 20-year-old alleged victim said in her statement to police that she answered her door to the sight of bandanas, sunglasses and a gun. The two men were said to have then forced their way into her apartment, located on California Avenue in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, and demanded to know where her money was. She told police that they threatened to slit her throat if she didn’t tell them.
Two men used a gun and a knife during the robbery
The victim also claims that one of the men forced her into her bathroom and made her take off her shirt. According to police reports, the two men used a gun and a knife during the robbery, and took an undisclosed amount of cash and other property that hasn’t been revealed. In her statement to police, the woman says that she hasn’t eaten or slept since the incident and that she feels constantly sick, though she was physically unharmed. Our criminal defense team knows that sometimes the psychological trauma is far worse than the physical harm.
Police arrived at her apartment at about ten to nine at night and investigated the scene in the hopes of determining who the perpetrators were. Descriptions of the perpetrators and their vehicle were released and a few hours later, a Western Michigan University police officer spotted a vehicle that matched the description. That officer arrested both George and White at 11:39 p.m that night.
After the arrest, police sought and received a warrant to search the two men’s dorm rooms on the WMU campus in Kalamazoo. As of now, no information has been released about what officers found or seized from the rooms during the police search. According to Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting, the prosecutor’s office has authorised multiple felony charges against George and White. Both men are charged with multiple felonies including Armed Robbery, First-degree Home Invasion, and Larceny in a building.
Under Michigan law, Armed Robbery, which refers to the crime of permanently taking property from another person by threat or force, is a felony punishable by up to life in prison. First-degree Home Invasion refers to breaking and entering with the intention of committing a felony, and using a weapon to threaten someone inside. This is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Larceny in a building is punishable by up to 4 years in prison. If convicted, these two young men are looking at up to life in prison.