Former basketball captain arrested on charges of credit card fraud and petit theft

Former women’s basketball team captain Destin Feagin was arrested Monday, May 2 at 5:05 p.m. on charges of credit card fraud and petit theft.

Feagin’s arrest stems from allegations of taking a teammate’s One Card and spending close to $350 during the month of February. Feagin admitted to the unauthorized use of her teammate’s card, and her mother, Joi Nicholson, made a $350 payment to the student’s account on February 29.

A redacted incident report obtained by Student Media on March 5 related to the investigation showed an unknown student was being investigated for “Theft/Depriving The Victim Of The Right To The Property,” which was reported Monday, Feb. 15 at midnight, the same day Feagin’s teammate made their complaint.

According to a redacted arrest affidavit obtained by Student Media, Feagin’s charge of  credit card fraud of “$100 or more” is a third-degree a felony, while her theft charge is a second-degree misdemeanor.

“On 02-15-16, the victim initiated a police report regarding the theft of her FIU/Wells Fargo debit card. An investigation of the stolen cards’ usage was conducted and revealed several fraudulent transactions during the week of 02-02-16 through 02-10-16,” the affidavit reads. “These transactions were committed at on campus businesses totaling in the amount of $347.77. The transactions were captured on video surveillance, where two employees of the affected businesses and the victim identified the [defendant] as the suspect.”

Feagin faces a maximum of five years imprisonment and up $5,000 in fees for the fraud charge, and 60 days imprisonment and up to $500 in fees for the theft charge.

The senior, who is set to graduate May 10, was released on $500 bond, and will appear for arraignment on June 1, according to the Miami Herald. She was arrested in Parkview Hall after returning to Miami from New Jersey, where she was taking online classes.

Feagin was suspended for the last four games of the regular season following her admission by former Head Coach Marlin Chinn, who is currently being investigated by the University for sexual misconduct. Chinn allegedly sexually harassed Feagin during his first year coaching at FIU. He was fired March 11 after admitting to University administration that he had broken NCAA guidelines and given the student-athlete $600 during December.

“I could even tell in their voice and their tone that this was their way of getting back at me,” Feagin told the Miami Herald of the FIU police detectives who arrested her.

Student Media’s request for University comment was met only with a copy of the arrest affidavit. We will continue to provide updates as this story develops.

Photo by Michael Sloan / FIU Student Media