Illinois basketball player Alex Legion was arrested Monday night for driving on a suspended license.
An Illinois Department of Intercollegiate Athletics official said Legion’s license was suspended because of an unpaid moving violation ticket in Michigan. Legion is a native of Detroit.
The DIA official also said head coach Bruce Weber is aware of the incident and that discipline will be handled internally.
The Daily Illini learned of the incident Monday from witnesses who said Legion was pulled over near Fifth and Green streets in Champaign around 11 p.m. on Monday. The Champaign County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest Thursday afternoon.
Illinois State’s Attorney Julia Rietz confirmed Legion was ticketed for driving on a suspended license, which is a class A misdemeanor. The charge carries up to a year in jail, but Rietz noted that with this charge, Legion may avoid jail and instead receive a fine or community service. Legion’s court date is set for May 4, and he does not yet have an attorney.
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The reason for pulling Legion over is not known by The Daily Illini at this time. Connie Huddleston of the criminal records department of the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office said a Freedom of Information Act request must be filed to receive that information.
The 20-year-old was released from police custody after the arrest and appeared in the Ultimate Basketball Challenge at Huff Hall on Wednesday night.
Legion, a 6-foot-5 sophomore guard, averaged 11.1 minutes per game and 3.5 points per game for the Illini in 2008-09. Legion transferred to Illinois from Kentucky during the 2007-08 season.
Meghan Montemurro and Cody Westerlund contributed to this report.
