Two University of Southern California journalism students were arrested in Kansas City on Friday and charged with theft for stealing jerseys from the 2023 NFL Draft to sell to collectors.
Kansas City Police say that Eric Lambkins, 41, and Jude Ocanas, 19, stole more than $1,000 worth of jerseys from first-round draft picks from the “Nike Room” of the NFL Draft at Union Station Kansas City, according to Yahoo News.
The reports say the pair were credentialed members of the press representing USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Media producer Oprah Winfrey addresses The USC Annenberg School For Communication And Journalism Celebrates Commencement at The Shrine Auditorium on May 11, 2018, in Los Angeles, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
Lambkins is a graduate student and a managing editor at Annenberg Media. He also founded the podcast “The Talk of Troy.” Ocanas is a freshman in the journalism program and a podcast team member.
A police report claims that the two were found in possession of a bag containing the jerseys with the No. 1 on them to signify a first-round pick for the Cowboys, the 49ers, and the Vikings. The pair were stopped at the airport before they could board for their flight home.
“These jerseys are used to give to players selected in the first round of the NFL draft and have a very sentimental meaning,” Kansas City police Det. Craig Leach said in a statement.
Kansas City Chiefs fans watch their team’s fifth-round draft selection during the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 29, 2023, in Kansas City, Missouri. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Both were booked and charged with second-degree burglary, first-degree trespassing, and stealing $750 or more and posted $2,500 bail each Saturday.
The police added that a video shows the pair walking through an emergency exit to enter the draft stage area, an area NFL officials say was off limits even to credentialed media members. The pair are seen later carrying a bag they didn’t have in the earlier video as they entered the “talent waiting area,” police said.
USC Annenberg Media reported that the school said they are cooperating fully with police but otherwise won’t comment due to “student privacy laws.”
David Bell, the attorney representing the men, said, “Out of respect for our system of justice, we are not going to comment on the evidence outside of the courtroom. We are confident that the unique set of circumstances in this case, combined with the extraordinary reputations of Mr. Lambkins and Mr. Ocañas, will result in a fair and equitable resolution to all parties involved.”
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