Maurice Clarett will spend at least three and a half years in prison after agreeing to a plea bargain this morning in two criminal cases.
The deal was reached on the day that jury selection was to begin in an aggravated-robbery case against the former Ohio State running back.
Under the plea deal, sources said, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David W. Fais will sentence Clarett to 7 ½ years in prison, with an opportunity to apply for judicial release after 3 1/2. Prosecutors agreed not to object to an early release.
Prosecutor Ron O'Brien approved the deal, as did the victims of a robbery in which Clarett took a cell phone from two people behind a Downtown bar Jan.1 after displaying a handgun in his waistband.
Clarett was out on bail awaiting trial in that case when, on Aug. 9, he led Columbus police on a traffic chase on the Far East Side that ended with officers finding four loaded weapons, including an assault rifle, in the sport-utility vehicle he was driving.
The two cases resulted in a combined 12 felony counts.
The Youngstown native helped lead the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship as a freshman but was suspended by Ohio State in 2003 for receiving improper benefits from a friend. He left school and lost a legal battle for early entry into the National Football League.
The Denver Broncos selected Clarett in the third round of last year's draft but released him during training camp.
Well, we get at least a 3.5 year break from this dumbass. What a waste.
