Athletes Who Were Arrested In 2024

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The following article includes allegations of domestic and child abuse, sexual assault, substance abuse, and murder.

It's not uncommon for athletes to be lauded by society such that they're often celebrities. Many are adored by millions, as society puts professional athletes up on a pedestal. They're honored for their physical prowess and impressive abilities and are almost superhuman when compared to us mere mortals. Of course, they're not superhuman, and at the end of the day, they're people, just like everyone else.

Like many, athletes have problems, whether they're related to money, relationships, or substance abuse. It's not unheard of for athletes to find themselves on the wrong side of the law for crossing a line. While most athletes spend their entire careers without being arrested, some don't, and in 2024, numerous athletes found themselves posing for mug shots for various crimes.

The most common arrest of an athlete is for driving under the influence, but that's child's play compared to some of the charges levied in 2024. Some athletes ruined their careers as they faced accusations of assault, possession of child pornography, insurance fraud, and even murder. These athletes were all arrested in 2024, and each is alleged or has been found guilty of breaking some serious laws.

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Wander Franco had a stellar introduction to Major League Baseball via the Tampa Bay Rays. He became an All-Star in 2023, but that was the same year he ran afoul of the law in the Dominican Republic. Franco had been under investigation since July 2023 following a complaint alleging the ball player sexually abused a 14-year-old girl.

Franco was ordered to appear in court but didn't show, so he was arrested and taken into custody on January 1, 2024, in the Dominican Republic. He was granted a conditional release and paid two million pesos ($34,000) to the court. In July 2024, Franco was formally charged with sexual abuse and exploitation of a minor, and his legal troubles were only beginning. In November 2024, Franco, who was out on conditional release, was arrested in relation to a gun-related incident.

Franco and an unidentified woman were arrested following an argument in a parking lot that ended with guns drawn. It's unclear if the second arrest endangers Franco's conditional release, as it's legal for him to carry a firearm if licensed. Regardless, Franco has been placed on Tampa Bay's restricted list and cannot play while his cases are being adjudicated.

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Jarrell Miller is a professional heavyweight boxer who has been active since 2006. Previously, he competed as a kickboxer but has primarily shifted to boxing. Miller had some legal troubles that impacted his career, and in 2019, he was denied a boxing license following multiple drug test failures. He's since overcome this issue and continues to box nationally and internationally.

On January 2, 2024, Miller was involved in an incident at a car dealership that resulted in his arrest. Miller was accused of body-slamming an employee and then stealing a truck from Haims Motors, located north of Miami, Florida. The truck in question had recently been repossessed, and its former owner wanted to retrieve her phone, and the dealership employee was helping her.

Inexplicably, Miller grabbed the man, placed him in a chokehold, and forced him to hand over the keys. Miller then jumped into the truck and fled the scene. Police tracked the vehicle, found Miller, and arrested him. He was charged with carjacking without a weapon and burglary, coupled with assault or battery. His case remains active as of late 2024, and Miller received an ankle monitor.

Trey Holly is a now-suspended running back for Louisiana State University, having started his freshman year in 2023. Holly found his way to the headlines in February 2024 when police issued a warrant for his arrest. Holly turned himself into the Union Parish Sheriff's Office on February 15. He was one of three people arrested in connection to a shooting that left one woman in critical condition.

A man was shot in the leg, while the woman was shot three times. The shooting stemmed from an altercation on February 9, leading Holly to be charged with attempted second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, and aggravated criminal damage to property. Holly maintained his innocence throughout the legal process, and the grand jury dropped most charges.

Holly will face one felony count of illegal use of a weapon. That reduces the potential jail time should he be found guilty, but if that happens, it won't be a light sentence. According to the State Legislature, anyone found guilty of such a charge will be "fined not more than one thousand dollars, or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than two years, or both."

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Isaiah Stewart is a power forward and center for the Detroit Pistons, which he joined following the 2020 NBA Draft. He was initially picked up by the Portland Trail Blazers but was traded until landing with the Pistons, where he's done quite well. While Stewart has excelled on the court, he's had some trouble just outside of it, which resulted in his arrest in February 2024.

Shortly before a game against the Phoenix Suns, Stewart got into an altercation with Drew Eubanks, the center for the opposing team. That altercation ended when Stewart allegedly introduced Eubanks' face to his fist. Security was there to break up the fight, and Eubanks sustained a minor injury but was able to proceed with the game despite what happened.

It didn't take long for Stewart to find his way into handcuffs, though he was only issued a citation and a misdemeanor assault charge. He was released by authorities, and the NBA banned him from playing in the next three games. Stewart previously missed eight games due to an ankle injury. The assault charge was ultimately dismissed, and Stewart resumed playing with his team later in the year.

Brandon Novak is a professional bowler participating in the 2024 U.S. Open at Royal Pin Woodland in Indianapolis, Indiana, when trouble came calling. While bowling his seventh frame during the second game of the competition, two U.S. Marshals slapped him in cuffs and removed him from the facility. Novak was soon extradited to Ohio, where he was charged with multiple counts.

Those counts amounted to 15 felony charges, five of which were for pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, while the remaining ten were for illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. Essentially, Novak was arrested and charged with 15 counts related to child pornography. Novak withdrew from the competition, taking 36th place and $1,500 in prize money.

He likely needed that cash to fund his legal defense, as his charges were severe. Initially, Novak denied knowing he purchased sexually explicit material involving a child but changed his tune in police interviews. He was sentenced to 12 months on four counts of pandering plus another 11 for the fifth count. This amounted to a sentence of nearly five years, designating him a Tier II sex offender for life.

Blaise Taylor started his athletic career as a defensive back and punt returner for Arkansas State before retiring from playing to become an assistant coach. He also worked in the pro scouting department for the Tennessee Titans before becoming a defensive analyst for Utah State. He joined Texas A&M, where he worked as a running backs coach.

Taylor was arrested on March 14, 2024, on suspicion of murder. Taylor's girlfriend, Jade Benning, was poisoned and subsequently died, as did the five-month-old unborn child she was carrying, in early 2023. Nashville police levied two counts of first-degree murder against Taylor. He was also suspended from Texas A&M while his case was adjudicated in the courts.

Taylor posted his $2.5 million bond and was released from jail in April 2024. As of December 2024, the case remains open, and it hasn't progressed much beyond the initial stages, though he's pleaded "not guilty" to all charges. Should he be convicted on one or both counts, Taylor faces imprisonment for life without the possibility of parole, imprisonment for life with the possibility of parole, or death.

Terrell Suggs was a linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, and Kansas City Chiefs. He retired from playing in 2019, and his pro football career set the standard for his famous family, which includes Jalen Suggs. While Suggs was a pro on the gridiron, he's had some legal troubles, beginning in 2003 following a felony aggravated assault charge.

Suggs was acquitted of that charge, but in 2009, he was hit with accusations of domestic assault but wasn't charged. He did receive a restraining order and had to surrender his firearms. Finally, on April 10, 2024, Suggs was taken in by Scottsdale, Arizona police on two charges of threatening and intimidating, and disorderly conduct with a weapon.

The charges stemmed from an incident in March following a minor fender bender in a Starbucks drive-thru. An argument ensued, leading Suggs to allegedly threaten to kill the other driver. He brandished a firearm at this time, leading to his arrest. Suggs maintains his innocence and claims he felt threatened during the altercation that led to his arrest. Suggs' trial was scheduled for sometime in 2025, though it's likely he will make a plea agreement to lessen the charges.

Yuniesky Betancourt was a shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, and Kansas City Royals. He returned to his native Cuba in 2019 but never played a game and has since retired. Betancourt found himself in trouble in April 2024 when he was arrested for defrauding an insurance provider for actions he allegedly committed in Florida.

Betancourt and three others were arrested on April 12, 2024, in connection to an insurance scheme. The four were alleged to have staged a car accident, which they falsely reported to the police. The goal of this scheme was to defraud Kemper Insurance and exploit the company's personal injury and protection benefits — they were hoping for a big payout, but instead, they ended up in jail.

Betancourt and his accomplices were charged with insurance fraud, a staged accident, an organized scheme to defraud, and grand theft. If convicted on all charges, Betancourt could be imprisoned for up to ten years. Kemper Insurance paid out $22,800 for therapy claims that none of the involved claimants were entitled to receive, so the hatched scheme succeeded in defrauding the insurance company.

Scottie Scheffler is ranked number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. He's won two Masters Tournaments and has been wildly successful since he went pro in 2019. Scheffler found himself in trouble on May 17, 2024, when he was arrested outside the venue for the 2024 PGA Championship. While Scheffler isn't the only PGA star who's been arrested, his interaction with the police was unusual.

What was later described as a "big misunderstanding" by the pro golfer began as a minor traffic incident. Scheffler arrived at the venue unaware of an ongoing accident investigation resulting in a fatality. According to the arrest report, Scheffler disregarded instructions and dragged a detective with his car, resulting in his hospitalization. 

Scheffler was arrested at the scene and charged with assault of a police officer, multiple misdemeanors, and traffic violations. Scheffler was noticeably fearful during his arrest, and he was traumatized by the event. He was also innocent, as the subsequent evidence proved his side of the story. As a result, all charges against Scheffler were dropped. The arresting officer who was dragged has a history of suspension and disciplinary violations going back more than a decade.

Isaiah Buggs was a defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs. He started with the Pittsburgh Steelers before transferring to the Las Vegas Raiders and Detroit Lions. Buggs' name hadn't popped up in headlines outside of sports news, but that changed in 2024 when he was arrested twice. Buggs was arrested in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on May 29, 2024. 

This came after dogs on his property were found to be malnourished and neglected, having no access to food or water and surrounded by their own feces. Buggs turned himself in on misdemeanor animal cruelty charges and was released after paying a $600 bond. He was subsequently sentenced to 60 days of hard labor.

That wasn't the end of Buggs' legal troubles, as he was arrested on June 16, 2024, for second-degree domestic violence and burglary. The arrest stemmed from an accusation that Buggs dragged the mother of his child down the stairs after breaking into her home with a tire iron. He then fled the scene and was later given a $5,000 bond, though it's unclear if he remains imprisoned as of December 2024.

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Cloe May Frankish is a professional golfer from the United Kingdom but spends much of her time posting on Instagram and OnlyFans these days. While Frankish hasn't been involved in major criminal enterprises since hitting the international scene, she did land herself in legal trouble in 2024. 

On June 12, 2024, Frankish and a friend were arrested at the Malta International Airport. Frankish and John Chinedu were intoxicated, leading the flight crew to ban them from the flight. This led to an altercation that blew out of proportion, leading to their arrest. Frankish was charged with causing damage to a door, injuring a police sergeant, and other charges. 

The pair were initially aggressive and disorderly, but after sobering up, they pled guilty. Frankish was hit with a fine of €4,000 ($4,200) and a restraining order to keep away from the sergeant for one year. She also had to pay for the damages caused during the arrest, which saw Chinedu tasered. Her guilty plea was rejected, and the matter appears to be settled with just the fine and restraining order.

Charles Scaggs, who legally changed his name to 2 Cold Scorpio, is a professional wrestler, having performed since the mid-1980s. Scorpio had a long career, which was put in jeopardy on June 15, 2024, when he was arrested in Kansas City, Missouri, following an altercation at a Love's gas station that saw one man stabbed.

Scorpio was working security when he saw a man with a lit cigarette. According to TMZ, he told police that the man refused to listen, telling him, "F you in the f*** you gonna' do?" Scorpio said the man threatened him, and they fought outside the store. That kerfuffle led Scorpio to pull his knife and stab the man multiple times in self-defense.

Scorpio was charged with one felony count of first-degree assault and one of armed criminal action. He bonded out and pled not guilty to the charges. Both sides allege the other to be the aggressor, and as of December 2024, the case has yet to go to trial or move beyond the initial phases. If found guilty on both counts, Scorpio could face up to 30 years in prison.

Javien Toviano is a cornerback for Louisiana State University, and during his sophomore year, he ran afoul of the law. Toviano turned himself into the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office on a charge of video voyeurism. According to the warrant, Toviano had consensual sex with a woman on July 5 and July 6, but he recorded their time together without her permission, which violates the law.

Toviano allegedly set up his iPad to record their sexual encounters as it sat next to the bed, and the victim found videos of them having sex. After his arrest, LSU announced that Toviano "has been suspended from all team activities, in accordance with departmental policies. We will not have further comment out of respect for the legal process" (via WSFA).

The cornerback was arrested following the execution of a search warrant, which found the videos in question. Should he be convicted of video voyeurism, Toviano faces a potentially stiff sentence. According to the Louisiana State Legislature, anyone convicted of such a crime will "be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than two years, or both."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, may be the victim of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, or has experienced a violent crime, contact the relevant resources below:

• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

• The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

• The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

• Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

If you have been impacted by incidents of mass violence, or are experiencing emotional distress related to incidents of mass violence, you can call or text Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for support.