Heisman Winner Accused of Shoplifting Seafood

FSU's Jameis Winston says he forgot to pay
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 30, 2014 6:47 PM CDT
Heisman Winner Accused of Shoplifting Seafood
Florida State relief pitcher Jameis Winston.   (AP Photo/Phil Sears, File)

Florida State's Jameis Winston became the youngest-ever winner of the Heisman last year, but the 20-year-old has headlines of a different sort to contend with today. Police say the 20-year-old walked off with $32 worth of crab legs and crawfish from a Tallahassee supermarket, reports CNN. A store employee gave him some time to return, then called the cops. Winston told police that it was an honest mistake and that he simply forgot to pay. Police didn't arrest him but instead issued a civil citation that will require Winston to do community service.

The school, meanwhile, has suspended him from his other sport—he's a relief pitcher for the baseball team. Though a minor offense, the incident is dredging up reminders of Winston's more serious brush with the law, when a woman accused him of sexual assault in 2013, notes AP. Prosecutors dropped charges citing a lack of evidence, though the school is still facing a federal inquiry into its handling of the woman's accusations. The Miami Herald calls Winston "one of the most-celebrated and most-scrutinized figures in college sports," but says FSU fans don't seem to be taking this latest case too seriously—think goofy Photoshopped images online and jokes about "Free Seafood University." (More Jameis Winston stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X