In a tragic turn, high school basketball recruit Tony Farmer was sentenced to 3 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to felony assault, felony kidnapping, and other sorts of charges. Farmer fell to the floor in agony during the sentencing, and it’s tough to watch.
Farmer was a top recruit, attracting attention from schools like Ohio State, Michigan State, Dayton, and Xavier so he clearly was one of the best forwards in the nation. The 6’7 youngster from Cleveland will now likely spend his first few years in college in prison.
The charges stemmed from an incident regarding Farmer and his ex-girlfriend, who apparently testified in Farmer’s behalf that he was a good person that made a mistake, and didn’t deserve jail time. Cameras in the parking lot in which the incident took place caught Farmer breaking the law, so there wasn’t much he could do but plead guilty.
I don’t disagree with the punishment. These are serious charges, and the judge couldn’t take it lightly. Sure he was only 18 years old, but come on- doing the right thing is an option in any circumstance and you can’t use the age as an excuse. I sincerely hope Farmer gets the help he needs, serves the punishment handed down, and be given a 2nd chance to resume his bright career.
Tragic all around.
