In April of last year, Deion Bonner was one of three high school students -- two of them football recruits -- charged with stealing iPhones and iPods from the University of Georgia football locker room during an open-house event.
A year and a half later, and nine months after signing with Tennessee, Bonner could very well be facing a similar legal situation.
First reported by VolQuest.com, and subsequently confirmed by the Knoxville News Sentinel, Bonner is listed as a suspect in the theft of a student’s cell phone late Wednesday afternoon. In fact, Bonner is currently listed as the lone suspect in a police report on the incident put together by a University of Tennessee Police Department officer.
The 21-year-old female’s phone was reported stolen from the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building on the UT campus.
The alleged offense, the News Sentinel writes, is listed as theft of under $500. Neither Bonner nor anyone else has been arrested.
As of Friday evening, school officials have yet to address the situation publicly.
Bonner, a four-star member of the Vols’ 2012 recruiting class, eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the UGA incident, which involved the theft of nearly $1,900 worth of iGadgets. The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reported back in January of this year that “Bonner entered a pre-trial diversion program and underwent counseling and community service.”
This season, Bonner has played in six games for the Vols.