COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 13 (UPI) -- A former Ohio State University quarterback has been declared indigent, making him eligible for public defense against felony charges in a sports-ticket scam.
Art Schlichter was declared indigent Tuesday by Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Tim Horton, who agreed with a finding by the county public defender's office that Schlichter qualifies as an indigent defendant, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Schlichter, 51, is accused of defrauding people of more than $1 million, but investigators have said the money is gone.
Schlichter was indicted in April on 13 felony counts involving 12 victims who gave Schlichter money based on his promises to make a profit for them by scalping tickets to Ohio State football games and the 2011 Super Bowl.
A trial date of Nov. 7 has been set.
Schlichter was the Buckeyes' starting quarterback from 1978 to 1981 and was the fourth pick in the 1981 NFL draft, but his professional career ended in 1983 when his gambling addiction got him suspended from the league, the Dispatch reported.
