Favour Ashe, a 21-year-old Nigerian athlete, was apprehended on Thursday at his residence in Alabama, USA, following allegations of theft and fraud.
The Auburn Police confirmed the arrest, which was reported by WTVM, a media outlet based in Columbus.
Ashe gained recognition for representing Nigeria at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where he secured a bronze medal in the 4×100m relay, competing alongside three compatriots. Recently, he made the transition from the University of Tennessee to Auburn University in Alabama, participating in the NCAA.
However, Ashe now faces charges related to fraudulent use of debit/credit cards (four counts) and third-degree theft of property (two counts), as reported by the media outlet.
According to the police statement, the victim reported Ashe’s robbery at the 100 block of West Magnolia Avenue on February 4th. Allegedly, Ashe compounded the offenses by utilizing the stolen cards for fraudulent transactions.
Authorities have set Ashe’s bond at $9,000, and he is currently detained at the Lee County Jail.
Ashe’s arrest is part of a series of similar incidents involving Nigerian athletes in 2022. BoldSports highlighted cases involving Toluwani Adebakin, Emmanuel Ineh, Raymond Ekevwo (the reigning African Games 100m champion), Mercy Abire, and Aniekeme Etim, all of whom were indicted and charged with wire and mail fraud in the US.
While Adebakin and Ineh were previously convicted of fraud and face a potential 10-year imprisonment, Abire pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and risks a 20-year jail term.
