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Former Michigan State basketball star Mateen Cleaves was charged Tuesday with sexual assault, unlawful imprisonment and two counts of criminal sexual conduct, according to a prosecutor. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the charges after an investigation into an incident Cleaves was allegedly involved in after a charity golf event near Flint, Mich. last September.
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Cleaves met a 24-year-old woman at the event and is accused of keeping her against her will and sexually assaulting her, according to an email the prosecutor's office sent to the Detroit Free Press.
Cleaves, 38, was expected to turn himself in. Each count he faces is punishable by up to 10 to 15 years in prison.
"The evidence in this case will show that the alleged actions of this defendant were not only criminal but arose out of a sense of entitlement sometimes found in prominent people," Worthy said in a statement.
Prosecutors say Cleaves had drinks with the alleged victim, her boyfriend and others at a bar and the group departed around 1 a.m.
The woman's boyfriend gave a friend a ride home and she got in a car with Cleaves and expected to be driven back to the golf club.
Instead, she was taken to a motel against her will. After being assaulted, the woman escaped the motel room and received help by an another woman staying in a different room.
Cleaves led Michigan State to the 2000 NCAA title and later played six seasons in the NBA. He currently is an analyst for CBS Sports.
