A University of Rhode Island basketball player already facing video voyeurism charges was arrested for the second time in a week on Thursday after authorities in Florida issued a warrant for him.
Jonathan Holton was arrested by campus police at his URI residence on charges of being a fugitive from justice and possession of stolen goods worth more than $500, the university said in a statement.
Campus police arrested Holton, a 20-year-old freshman from Miami, for the first time this week on Tuesday. He was charged with two counts of video voyeurism and was released. Authorities allege he videotaped consensual sexual encounters with two 20-year-old female students without their knowledge. The videos were posted on Holton's Facebook account and were forwarded to about 30 people, an affidavit said.
Defense attorney John E. MacDonald has said that Holton did not post any graphic images on his Facebook account and that someone got into his account without his permission and sent the images under his name.
URI, which had already suspended Holton from the basketball team, said that he is no longer registered there. MacDonald said Holton was suspended for three semesters.
The warrant is for a robbery charge and was issued on Wednesday, URI said. Campus police also allege Holton had a MacBook Pro laptop computer that had been reported stolen from a common area of a residence hall suite on July 26. The $1,200 laptop was found in Holton's campus residence while officers were carrying out a search warrant on Tuesday, the university said.
MacDonald said Florida authorities allege Holton missed some appointments to check in with officials by email as part of an agreement to dismiss a robbery charge against him. Holton and others, he said, were charged in 2009 after someone was robbed during a fight that broke out in a park.
The evidence against Holton was "so weak" that he was allowed to complete 100 hours of community service as part of an agreement to have the robbery charge dismissed, MacDonald said.
Holton completed the community service, MacDonald said. He said he did not know how long Holton was required to check in with authorities.
URI spokesman Dave Lavallee said he did not know whether the athletics department was aware of the robbery charge. He said coaches are responsible for researching the backgrounds of recruits.
Holton was arraigned in District Court in South Kingstown earlier Thursday and was ordered held on $15,000 bail. MacDonald said Holton has to post a portion of that amount and his family is expected to provide the bail funds.
Holton, who has not entered pleas on the video voyeurism or possession of stolen property cases, should be in Florida by Friday, MacDonald said.
The allegations come as the team, which went 7-24 last season and failed to qualify for the conference tournament, is welcoming Daniel Hurley as head coach. The former Wagner coach agreed a week ago to a six-year deal to shepherd the struggling Atlantic 10 team.
Holton was named to the 2011-12 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team, according to the URI men's basketball team website. He led the team with eight double-doubles and was the first player since 1998 to pull down at least 14 rebounds in his URI debut.
-Laura Crimaldi/Associated Press
