Emoni Bates, Eastern Michigan University’s prized basketball recruit was arrested over the weekend.
Bates pled not guilty to a pair of felony gun charges after he was pulled over in Superior Township Sunday night. During the traffic stop, officers found a concealed firearm in the vehicle, and Bates was taken into custody.
He faces charges for possessing a concealed weapon, which carries up to five years in prison if convicted. The other charge is for altering the identity of a firearm, which carries up to a two-year sentence.
According to his lawyer, Steve Haney, the former National High School Player of the Year was driving someone else’s car, and the gun did not belong to him.
TheEMU athletic department released a statement saying they are aware of the situation and that the school takes all allegations of this nature seriously.
The university has suspended Bates until the legal process has been resolved.
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