Former N.C. State basketball player faces felony charge

Raleigh, N.C. — A former N.C. State basketball player has been charged with a felony count of obtaining property by false pretenses.

Gavin Grant, 23, surrendered to authorities Tuesday on the charge, which stems from credit card fraud at Saks on Oct. 14, 2008, authorities said.

Another person, Paige Gilliam, 25, has also been charged with three counts of obtaining property by false pretenses.

Grant, who was a forward/guard for N.C. State from 2004 to 2007, now plays for the Utah Flash in the NBA Development League. He averages 12 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in the current season. The team’s next game is Thursday night.

Three years ago, Grant, who was born in Jamaica, was in danger of being deported for being in the United States illegally.

Grant moved to New York when he was 9 years old and did not have valid paperwork to be in the country. Immigration officials began removal proceedings in October 2005.

They were eventually closed, and Grant was allowed to proceed with an application for permanent resident status.

Grant is out of the Wake County jail on pre-trial release, meaning he did not have to post bond.

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Latest Comments

"....Gavin could get a job and wouldn't have to resort to such desperate measures. lazerdoc"

Lack of a job is not justification nor excuse for this kind of criminal activity. I was without a job for a year, with a family, kids, and no nest egg. That certainly didnt force me to become a criminal.

Criminal activity is a CHOICE and the person who commits the crime ir the one responsible.

Another point. HE HAS A JOB.... with the NBA!! Think he's forced to eat baloney sandwiches foer dinner??

No, he turned into a punk criminal.

There is NO excuse or justification for it.

meBNme
November 5, 2010 5:55 p.m.

Darn thnkb4uspk

ould you not think of a more original name? is there a reason why your name is so similar to mine?

Thinkb4uspeak
January 21, 2009 4:26 p.m.

Tarheelsvictory, the answer is simple...it's called Triangle or NC tie in.

I've been living here for 40+ years. But I've traveled extensively and I have family all over the country. TV and radio and print entities in this state are the WORST I've ever seen about news with a local / state tie in. They can't help themselves. Good, bad, big or small, if a news story mentions ANYTHING related in any way to NC, it's a go for printing or air time.

Stories like this prove it.

discowhale
January 15, 2009 1:20 p.m.

I don't understand why this story is on the Sports Fan page. Yes he played basketball at NC STATE, but he is no longer a student or an athlete at the University. It's not the schools fault he committed this crime. This story has nothing to do with sports and should be treated as such. It should only be on the main WRAL page as news.

Austin Rivers Is My Daddy
January 15, 2009 10:51 a.m.

"it seems that we only want to deport Mexicans"

I'd rather focus on the biggest problem, the illegal Mexicans. They're here in the millions, up to 20 million by some estimates. When OTHER illegals get to be such a large problem, I'd say focus on them.