Published Friday, June 12, 2009 6:05 AM
Ex-Aggie athlete guilty of robbery
By KEVIN CULLEN
kevin.cullen@theeagle.com
Former Texas A&M University football player Yemi Babalola was found guilty on two counts of aggravated robbery Thursday afternoon after three days of testimony.
Jurors deliberated for about two hours before opting to convict Babalola of the felony, which is punishable by five to 99 years in prison. He is eligible for probation because he had not been convicted of a felony before.
The punishment phase of Babalola's case is to start at 8:30 a.m. Friday in the 361st District Courtroom at the Brazos County Courthouse.
Prosecutors contended that Babalola, 23, and a teammate, Brandon Joiner, stole marijuana, money, car keys and a cell phone from a College Station apartment after binding the occupants with duct tape on Nov. 29, 2007. Babalola and Joiner were dismissed from the team not long after their arrests.
Joiner's trial is pending.
Brazos County prosecutor Kara Comte said in her closing statement Thursday that all three had victims testified that a large man hit Jeffrey Smith as he opened the door to the apartment that was robbed. Babalola is a former lineman for the Aggies whose playing weight was more than 300 pounds.
Comte said the testimony, along with the evidence presented to support the case against Babalola, was enough to convict him of the offense.
"All of the evidence points to that man," she said, as she gestured toward Babalola.
Billy Carter, Babalola's defense attorney, said the evidence presented by the prosecution left room for reasonable doubt.
He said the duct tape found at the crime scene was never tested for fingerprints and that the marijuana also was not tested.
Carter questioned the validity of Smith's testimony by saying he changed his story many times throughout the investigation.
"When you have to start picking and choosing the truth," he said, "reasonable doubt is created."
Carter also said none of the victims was able to identify Babalola as one of the two robbers. The attorney pointed out that throughout the trial, the prosecution never asked Babalola to stand or speak to aid the victims in identifying him.
Prosecutor Brian Price said in the final closing statement that Babalola deserved to be punished.
"Those types of actions must be held accountable," he said.
Comments
26 comment(s) found!
Posted by:
On:
Monday, June 15, 2009 2:19 AM
Comment Title: David Wigington
You've earned your spot here: http://weblogofweeds.wordpress.com/2009/06/15/foolsnamesfoolsfaces/
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Posted by:
David Wiginton On:
Sunday, June 14, 2009 9:36 PM
Comment Title: typical negro
Even suppossed good black students become scum. What a savage people
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Posted by:
On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 1:21 PM
Comment Title: RE: The Bryan good life again. Drugs and crime
But the drugs were IN College Station. Doesn't that suggest to anyone with more than a peanut for a brain that drugs are the good life in CS too?
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Posted by:
On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 12:35 PM
Comment Title:
That is one of Bryan's biggest problems and concerns. How to keep trash from taking up residence in the city. For instance, Tommy Preston was a star AMC football player who ran afoul of the law in his freshman year at TAMU and was dismissed from the football team. He transferred to Sam Houston and damn if the same thing didn't occur. He moves to Bryan to further his criminal ways and the easy pickings. Fortunately for Bryan and the rest of society he is nabbed for robbing hotels/motels and is spending time in the Texas prison system. This seems to be the only way to legally keep College Station trash out of Bryan - incarceration.
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Posted by:
The Bryan good life again. Drugs and crime On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 11:59 AM
Comment Title:
Also a Bryan resident of the good Life. See BCSO jail bookings.
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Posted by:
I hope this does not keep others from coming to Bryan looking for football players. On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 11:55 AM
Comment Title:
The incarceration of Tommy Lee Preston from College Station and star player at CSISD Hi did not keep recruiters away. Note that Daniel Palmer was recruited by UTEP.
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Posted by:
The Power of the Bryan Good life of Crime and Drugs. On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 11:49 AM
Comment Title:
The defense saved its most powerful witness for the end when it called former Bryan High Coach Marty Criswell to the stand. Criswell, who coached Babalola for four years said,"I love him. I'm mad at him, disappointed in him, but I love him." ---KBTX
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Posted by:
On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 10:44 AM
Comment Title: Offensive Line MVP: Yemi Babalola, Fr., Bryan, TX
To bad for this star Bryan High resident. I hope this does not keep others from coming to Bryan looking for football players.
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Posted by:
On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 9:58 AM
Comment Title: Play With Fire
This whole sordid affair is just a perfect illustration of what happens when you do "business" with those in illegal enterprises like selling drugs. You get burned. You take many risks of going to jail. Nothing comes with guarantees except that there are risks of going to jail throughout any association with the criminals that you become when accepting these risks. You simply raise the stakes by becoming a criminal of a higher rank, say felony rank, by enforcing a right you do not have when doing business with those breaking the law - like fair business practices. Crimes were committed throughout. Felonies, stupid ones, were committed, this man was found guilty, and now his future will be guided by his actions behind bars in whatever TDCJ facility ends up being his home. He made his choices and accepted all risks. Now he has to live with the results of taking those risks. We can only hope that his family can cope with this and that perhaps some people learn something from this other than how to sling mud. Fire is usually hot and someone usually gets burned. Welcome to life.
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Posted by:
On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 9:44 AM
Comment Title: Hey finally
So you would like all of them living in your neighborhood around your family. Give me a break.
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Posted by:
On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 3:11 AM
Comment Title: Finally
Someone with something to say! Thank you last comment! I agree. People should have something to say that means something. How about this, his family are GREAT people. Kids make mistakes. The kids that he stole from made a mistake by dealing drugs and feeling safe doing so. If you deal drugs, expect the worst. The kid messed-up. They all did. I hope that his family will be okay during this hard time. I pray for them.
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Posted by:
On:
Saturday, June 13, 2009 12:28 AM
Comment Title:
Is there not an intelligent person left in Brazos County. I can not believe these stupid and silly comments that have been written. If you can not make an intelligent and coherent comment please do us a favor and keep it to yourself. You certainly have the freedom of free speech and ever the freedom to be stupid, but at least spare us the agony of reading it.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 1:08 PM
Comment Title:
Just when you get one of these 2nd rate Brazos County so called athletes under control, another one breaks out. AMCHS standout (?) and UTEP Miner Daniel Raynard Palmer is arrested for robbery Thursday Morn. Huzzah, Huzzah, Huzzah for College Station.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 12:57 PM
Comment Title: Time
I hope no less than 20 years and up to 99 is fine. This guy is going to kill someone when he gets out.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 12:55 PM
Comment Title: You called someone a "ditz"?
Just where do you think Babalola was raised and graduated high school. Guess the childish rubber and glue still applies name called bounces off me and sticks on you. We know who the "ditz" really is here.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 12:36 PM
Comment Title:
To the person who wrote "The Power of the Bryan Good life of Crime and Drugs. Then End for some" ARE YOU STUPID?? These guys DID NOT LIVE IN BRYAN they were TEXAS A&M football players which means the lived in C.S. and probably ion campus. What a ditz
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Posted by:
BEVO in Walton Hall On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 11:59 AM
Comment Title: Just goes to show..........
what a good A&M education will do to you.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 11:34 AM
Comment Title:
How does a man who has opportunities laid out before him, such as a college degree and perhaps a career in the NFL, choose to commit a crime?? Why throw it all away? It goes to show that bad influences at a young age, maybe bad relatives or bad friends, can teach you bad habits. It all catches up with you in the long run.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 10:01 AM
Comment Title: Kevin, where did they get you from???
No such thing as an ex-Aggie. Once an Aggie always an Aggie, perhaps you meant former student.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 10:00 AM
Comment Title:
The Power of the Bryan Good life of Crime and Drugs. The End for some.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 9:56 AM
Comment Title:
Sad
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 9:55 AM
Comment Title:
If drug sales and drug use in Bryan had been kept in check. This young man would be in the NFL not the TDCJ.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 9:53 AM
Comment Title:
This was the best from Bryan High school.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 9:52 AM
Comment Title:
Crime rate is up in CS again. Thank you Bryan.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 9:51 AM
Comment Title:
The Bryan good life Just does not work the same same in CS.
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Posted by:
On:
Friday, June 12, 2009 9:43 AM
Comment Title:
Proof that a Bryan person can make it out of BISD and still live off the Government.
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