Florida freshman Rick Wells will receive a deferred prosecution, while fellow first-year receiver Tyrie Cleveland is scheduled for a Sept. 22 court appearance for their roles in a July 15 BB gun fight in on-campus housing.
State Attorney Bill Cervone said Wells must pay $900 in restitution charges and either make a contribution to Children's Advocacy or perform community service. He will not have any charges on his record.
Cleveland, however, is not eligible for deferral, Cervone said, based on a petty theft charge for shoplifting last spring in Houston. Cleveland will have to appear in court and likely will enter a plea, thereby receiving similar punishment to Wells.
"I don't want to say it's the end of the world or a big deal, but it exists," Cervone said of Cleveland's previous charges.
The restitution will be spilt in half to cover damages to Keys Residential housing on the UF campus and damage to another student's car caused by the BB shots.
Each player originally was charged with damaging property of more than $1,000 _ a third-degree felony _ and shooting a missile inside an occupied dwelling _ a second-degree felony.
"It's impossible to say who literally did what piece of damage," Cervone told the Orlando Sentinel Tuesday. "That charge is much more appropriate to what they were doing than the felony charges the police department began with. Not that those charges weren't valid, but this is more reflective of what they were doing."
UF coach Jim McElwain suspended the two players for this past Saturday's season opener against UMass. Both players will be available Saturday during the SEC opener against Kentucky.
Cleveland is the top offensive recruit and along with Wells among five receivers in the 2016 class. Both players are Jacksonville natives, but Cleveland moved to Houston and finished his high school career there.
