Aug 6, 2008 8:19 pm US/Pacific
USC Football Recruit Convicted Of Compton Robbery
COMPTON, Calif. (AP) ―
A USC football recruit has been convicted of robbing a man at gunpoint in Compton earlier this year.
A Compton Superior Court jury deliberated for several hours Wednesday before convicting 18-year-old linebacker Maurice Simmons of robbery and assault with a firearm. Lamont Hall, the football player's friend, has also been convicted of the March 5 robbery.
Simmons' attorney intends to appeal the verdict because his client did not realize that his friend intended to commit a crime.
Simmons faces 7 1/2 years in prison when he is sentenced Aug. 28.
Simmons had accepted an athletic scholarship a month before robbery.
A USC athletic department spokesman had no immediate comment on Simmons' status.
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