FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) - Three Razorback basketball players were arrested on Wednesday (July 22) after police say they were seen spending counterfeit $20 bills.
Jacorey Williams, 21, Anton Beard, 19, and Dustin Thomas, 19, were booked into the Washington County Detention Center on Wednesday after 1 p.m., and each faces a charge of forgery, according to jail records.
All three are scheduled to appear in court on Friday (July 24) at 7:45 a.m., jail records state. They were all suspended indefinitely from the Razorback basketball team, officials said.
In May, police started investigating incidents where counterfeit money was being spent in local businesses, police said. Among the items purchased with counterfeit money was tobacco, police said.
All three Razorbacks were seen in surveillance footage in July using the counterfeit $20 bills, according to an arrest report. Beard also asked a store clerk to exchange six counterfeit $50 bills for three $100 bills, and the clerk did so according to the report.
Police identified the suspects, and they later came to the police station to speak with officers.
The University of Arkansas issued the following statement:
“We have become aware of a pending legal issue involving three men’s basketball student-athletes. The student-athletes have been suspended indefinitely from the men’s basketball program. Our continued expectation is that our student-athletes conduct themselves in an appropriate manner at all times.”
Williams, Beard and Thomas all told police how they got the money but denied knowing that it was counterfeit, according to an arrest report.
After speaking with police, they were arrested, the report states.
Williams and Beard were set to be two of the top three returning scorers for the Razorbacks this fall while Thomas will sit out the season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Beard averaged 5.7 points per game and made 16 starts while Williams added 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in 36 games and made seven starts.