The Polk County Sheriff’s Office has accused five teenage basketball players, all aged between 16 and 17 years old, of stealing from a Florida 7-Eleven store. The teens are members of the Run It Up travel AAU basketball program affiliated with the Amateur Athletic Union and hail from Maryland and Washington, D.C.
According to officials, the theft occurred on Thursday around 4:10 a.m. when suspects concealed merchandise including Doritos, gummies, Starburst Minis, a Big Mama sausage, lemonade, and grape and orange Slurpees—totaling $37.60. When confronted by a clerk at the store, the teens fled the scene.
The sheriff’s office stated that the team’s coach works for the Department of Juvenile Services at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Maryland, where his responsibilities include assisting and empowering youth. The officials also reported that the coach lied to protect some of the accused teens.
