SJSU Football player faces Robbery Charges

San Jose State University football player Ellis Jones III has been charged with 13 felony counts related to a string of robberies in San Jose.According to the Mercury News, Jones allegedly used classified advertisements on Craigslist to lure robbery victims.

In the first case, on June 27, the Mercury News reported that Jones allegedly pretended he was selling a laptop computer to a Fremont man. Upon meeting him, Jones allegedly shocked the man with a stun gun and took the cash the man brought to buy the computer. Three other incidents allegedly occurred June 30.Jones already had been suspended by the SJSU football team for a previous arrest on robbery charges in Tulare County.

According to the Mercury News, Jones was charged with four counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, four counts of assault with a stun gun, two counts of false imprisonment, one count of kidnapping in the commission of a robbery and one count of second degree burglary."

At SJSU, once a student athlete is charged with a felony, the student athlete is suspended from participating in all team-related activities," said SJSU Athletic Director Tom Bowen.Jones' scholarship for the 2006-07 academic year will not be renewed and SJSU's Student Judicial Affairs committee will determine his future status as a student.According to the SJSU Sports Information Department, before Jones' off-field troubles arose, Jones had a strong spring camp and was slated to be a contributor on the field for the Spartans in the fall.

"Ellis played very well in the spring drills," said Sports Information Director Lawrence Fan.As of August 21, Jones was still in custody in Tulare County awaiting trial on his previous robbery charges, according to the San Jose Police Department.

Once his crimes in Tulare County have been dealt with, Jones will be sent to San Jose to face his felony robbery charges for the string of June robberies."This young man has forfeited a tremendous opportunity. My thoughts and prayers are with his family," Bowen said.