Former football Vol in robbery case pleads to reduced charge

Security camera footage: Former Vols allegedly attempt armed robbery at gas station

Mike Edwards

KNOXVILLE - Dismissed University of Tennessee football player Mike Edwards pleaded guilty this morning to a reduced charge of reckless endangerment in a plea arrangement that allows him to maintain a pristine record if he stays out of trouble for two years.

Edwards, 18, originally was charged Nov. 12, 2009, with three counts of attempted armed robbery, serious felony offenses. Edwards' attorney, David Eldridge, arranged a plea agreement that has the former defensive back pleading guilty to the lowest level of felony charges.

The plea agreement before Knox County Criminal Court Judge Mary Beth Leibowitz allows Edwards two years of judicial diversion. After that time, if Edwards stays out of legal trouble, the charge will be removed from his record.

In addition, the agreement mandates Edwards must either be a full-time student or employed during the diversion period.

Edwards was not scheduled to appear in court today, but Eldridge arranged for his client to plead guilty to an information, a legal document that waives a grand jury review of the allegations against a defendant.

Eldridge said Edwards was allowed the lower felony plea because his client didn't handle the pellet gun during the 1:45 a.m. robbery attempt of three men sitting in a car at a Pilot station on Cumberland Avenue. The men had empty wallets but offered the two men demanding their cash their only cheeseburger.

Edwards was initially charged along with two other UT football players and a female student who was driving the trio in her powder blue Toyota Prius.

Players Nu'Keese Richardson, Edwards and Janzen Jackson were charged with three counts of attempted armed robbery in the case. UT student Lynn Montmarquet also faced the same charges and possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia offenses.

Knoxville police officers arrested the group near campus shortly after the reported incident, and seized a pellet gun from the car Montmarquet was driving.

All three players were suspended from the team. Richardson and Edwards were later dismissed by former coach Lane Kiffin. Jackson was reinstated after the charge against him was dropped. The attempted armed robbery charge against Montmarquet also was dropped, but she still faces the drug offenses.

Knox County District Attorney General Randy Nichols said that a review of the evidence, including surveillance video and taped interviews, failed to show Jackson or Montmarquet had prior knowledge of a robbery attempt.

Leibowitz on Jan. 11 approved an agreement for Richardson allowing him to plead guilty to the lesser charge of attempted robbery. That agreement placed him on probation for three years, during which time he must be a full-time student or employed full time.

Richardson has since enrolled at Hampton (Va.) University. If he completes the terms of his probationary period and does not run afoul of the law again, he can have the conviction expunged from his record.

More details as they develop online and in Friday's News Sentinel.