Five football players from the Cal Poly team were charged with felonies on Friday in connection to an alleged robbery at a local fraternity house, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune. The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office charged the players with conspiracy to commit residential robbery, attempted residential robbery, attempted burglary, false imprisonment and using a firearm during a crime.
"Crimes committed with guns are a threat to the safety of our entire community," Chief Deputy District Attorney Jerret Gran said in a news release. "We have absolutely no tolerance for violent gun crimes."
Per the Tribune, receiver Cameron Akins, running back Jake Brito, cornerback Cortland Fort, running back Kristaan Ivory and cornerback Dominique Love are the five players facing charges.
The players are, needless to say, facing quite a bit of jail time if convicted -- the maximum sentence for a charge of attempted residential robbery is 4.5 years and the maximum sentence for use of a firearm during a crime is 10 years, according to the report.
Akins allegedly used a firearm to demand money and drugs from fraternity members at the Delta Sigma Phi house at Cal Poly on Aug. 10. San Louis Obispo police said officers arrived on the scene and later arrested Akins after an altercation. Police arrested Fort when he was allegedly trying to flee the scene in a vehicle. The other three players were arrested later that day on campus for their alleged involvement.
"Cal Poly recognizes the seriousness of these charges and will move swiftly to take the appropriate responses," the university wrote in a statement earlier this month after the incident occurred. "As always, any violation of the university's student conduct policies will not be tolerated and will be dealt with summarily, to ensure that student health and safety and the university's academic environment are maintained."
Four of the five players were slated to be starters for the Mustangs this season. Ivory was the team's leading rusher last season and was set to be backed up by Brito. Akins, Fort and Love were also in line to start for Cal Poly in 2014.
The football program opens the season at New Mexico State on Aug. 28.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
