Kansas commit arrested

[RedRiverPony]

Giddens arrested on felony complaints
2002-12-20
By Ken Raymond
The Oklahoman

A high school basketball star and three others were arrested early Thursday on a variety of complaints stemming from a plot to defraud a Wal-Mart store, police said.

J.R. Giddens, 17, was arrested on felony complaints of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, grand larceny from a retailer, concealing stolen property and obtaining property by false pretense.

Giddens, a senior at John Marshall, is considered one of the top high school basketball players in the nation. Giddens, who was a Class 5A All-State selection last season by The Oklahoman, has already signed a national letter-of- intent to play next season at the University of Kansas. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 25 points this season.

John Marshall coach John Martin did not comment on Giddens' arrest. Martin said Giddens' status with the team will be evaluated. Martin learned of Giddens' arrest late Thursday afternoon.

John Marshall doesn't play again until Jan. 7. The Bears are the top- ranked team in Class 5A.

Three others -- Rickke Leon Green, 48; Katie Lee Citty, 35; and Amber Starr Fletcher, 19 -- were arrested along with Giddens on similar complaints.

About 3 a.m. Thursday, Wal- Mart security officers took all four into custody after watching them on surveillance monitors, police said. The officers told police that Fletcher, who worked as a cashier at the store at 1801 Belle Isle, had apparently disabled security tabs on various products and did not charge for them.

Between them, Giddens, Green and Citty passed $3,854.63 worth of electronics through Fletcher's checkout stand but paid for only $40 worth of goods, police said.

Officers later confirmed that all four knew each other.

Giddens was booked into a juvenile detention facility. The others were booked into the Oklahoma County jail.