Tulane QB says Facebook Marketplace scam led to arrest

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Tulane University quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended from the football team following his arrest for possession of a stolen vehicle - a truck he says he unknowingly bought from a scammer on Facebook Marketplace.

Attorneys representing Finley say the former Ponchatoula High School standout quarterback was misled during the purchase and had no knowledge the truck was stolen.

According to a statement by David I. Courcelle and Scott C. Stansbury, Finley bought the vehicle from a man using the name John Spillway, who claimed to represent Mountain Adventures, LLC.

“Spillway presented TJ with both a bill of sale and registration, giving TJ every reason to believe the purchase was legitimate,” the attorneys wrote. “Within three days of the purchase, Tulane police informed TJ that the truck had been reported stolen.”

READ MORE: Tulane quarterback T.J. Finley arrested, suspended from team

Finley was booked Wednesday (April 2) with illegal possession of a stolen vehicle worth more than $25,000. He was arrested in the 6300 block of Claiborne Avenue after officers noticed the truck was blocking a gate and its license plate was registered to a different vehicle.

Finley told police he had recently purchased the truck in Atlanta. He has since been released from jail.

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