Last spring, shortly after the completion of the college basketball season, two players on the South Carolina women’s basketball team were arrested on multiple charges of credit card theft and fraud and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Following the filing of charges against the players, they were dismissed from the women’s basketball program and suspended from the University, pending resolution of the charges.

This morning, former Gamecocks guards Jasmine Payne and Ashlie Billingslea appeared before Fifth Circuit Judge J. Michelle Childs and pleaded guilty to multiple counts of financial card theft and fraud and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Both Billingslea and Payne also apologized in court.
 

Both were sentenced to five years of prison, suspended to 18 months of probation under the youthful offenders act, and were ordered to pay restitution to the victims whose credit cards and debit cards they stole from the Blatt P.E. Center last March. Payne must pay $391 in restitution and Billingslea owes the victims $351. Payne owes more restitution because she admitted to an additional theft. Both women will also be required to submit to regular drug and alcohol testing.

Ashlie Billingslea, who was expected to be South Carolina’s starting point guard for the 2007-2008 season, suffered a knee injury on the first day of practice and did not participate in a game until the conference season was well underway. Billingslea is now attending Chipola College in Florida, where she is playing on the basketball team. She has reportedly signed a letter of intent to attend Mississippi State University, with plans to enroll there next fall. No further information about the signing was available through the MSU Bulldogs website.

Jasmine Payne, who came off the Gamecocks bench in a number of games last season, is now attending Pensacola Junior College, where she is on the roster of the basketball team. She will be eligible to begin playing for the Pirates, next semester. She reports that she has had interest from a number of Division I schools.