NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) — Tulane University quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended from the football team following his arrest on charges of possessing a stolen vehicle. Finley, who was booked for illegal possession of a truck worth more than $25,000, claims he unknowingly purchased the vehicle from a scammer on Facebook Marketplace.
According to Finley’s attorneys, David I. Courcelle and Scott C. Stansbury, the former Ponchatoula High School star was misled during the purchase. The truck, which Finley bought from an individual identified as “John Spillway,” was falsely represented as being sold on behalf of Mountain Adventures, LLC.
The attorneys stated that Spillway provided Finley with both a bill of sale and registration, which led him to believe the transaction was legitimate. However, just three days after the purchase, Tulane police informed Finley that the vehicle had been reported as stolen.
Finley was arrested on Wednesday, April 2, in the 6300 block of Claiborne Avenue after officers noticed the truck was blocking a gate and had a license plate registered to a different vehicle. When questioned, Finley confirmed that he had bought the truck in Atlanta. He was later released from jail following his arrest.
As the investigation continues, Finley remains suspended from the Tulane football team.
