Former NBA player Marcus Morris Sr. indicated on Instagram that he is back home after more than two days in a Florida jail over money owed to Las Vegas casinos.
Marcus Morris Sr. appears to be back home after more than two days in a Florida jail following his weekend arrest over money he owed to two Las Vegas casinos.
Morris, who played for the Clippers and seven other teams during his 11-year NBA career, took to Instagram on Wednesday morning, writing, "I woke up in my bed this morning" after having "to sit for 51 hours no bail and not even a chance to pay it back."
"So did I go past the time I needed to repay yea probably did, did i know they would locked me up, hellllllllll No," Morris wrote, followed by four crying while laughing emojis. "I would pay a thing to stay outta jail. Money paid back and lesson learned."
Morris was arrested Sunday at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on felony fraud charges out of Nevada. Records from the Las Vegas Township Justice Court indicate that warrants were issued earlier this year for Morris’ arrest on the same two felony counts in each case — drawing or passing a check for $1,200 or more with the intent to defraud and theft valued at $100,000 or more.
During a hearing Tuesday morning in Florida’s Broward County, it was confirmed that the warrants for Morris’ arrest in Nevada were over outstanding casino markers for more than $100,000 each. Morris was denied bail pending his extradition to Nevada.
Read more:NBA's Marcus Morris Sr. allegedly owes Nevada casinos over $200,000; he's denied bail in Florida
A prosecuting attorney representing Florida indicated he had been told that Nevada was willing to consider dismissing the warrants if Morris’ debts were paid in full. The judge stated that if the warrants against him were dismissed, Morris would be released. An attorney representing Morris said that “a large payment” had already been sent via wire in an effort to resolve the issue.
Morris is no longer listed on the Broward County Sheriff's Office's inmate directory. Las Vegas Township Justice Court records still list both warrants for Morris' arrest as active, but on Tuesday a new court date was set in both cases for Aug. 6.
In his lengthy Instagram post, Morris wrote that he does not appreciate how he has been portrayed by some during his ordeal.
"The key word I won't [accept is] fraud because this had nothing to do with no money exchange or me not being able to pay something," he wrote. "My Character means everything to me and my family as well. I hate for Vegas to really make me really look like a criminal over a petty couple hundred. And really made me sit 51 hours over that s—."
He said that he and his twin brother, NBA veteran Markieff Morris, will appear "on a platform sometime soon ... to explain what took place and what lessons was learned for the young [athletes] that watch and look up to us."
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Category: General Sports
