Woman charged with lying about gang rape
PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A woman who said she was gang raped by St. John's University basketball players after meeting them at a strip club has been charged with lying about the encounter.
Despite the charges against the woman, school officials expelled the team's second-leading scorer and disciplined four other players; a sixth faces disciplinary action.
One of the players videotaped parts of the incident using his cell phone, and the video cast suspicion on the woman's allegations, police said.
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The charges stemmed from an encounter at a hotel after the players attended an adult night club following the team's loss to Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, police said.
Sherri Ann Urbanek-Bach, 38, of New York City, was charged Thursday night with filing fictitious reports, attempted extortion and prostitution, police said.
"Evidence suggests there were demands for money. When the demands were not met, she filed her report," Pittsburgh police Lt. Kevin Kraus said.
Senior Grady Reynolds has been expelled from the school, St. John's officials said. Leading scorer Elijah Ingram, a sophomore at the New York City school, and senior Abraham Keita were banned from the team and face expulsion proceedings. Freshman Lamont Hamilton and senior Mohamed Diakite were suspended from the team pending further investigation, and freshman Tyler Jones faces disciplinary action.
St. John's said it disciplined the players "for violation of team rules and behavior inconsistent with St. John's mission and values." Officials of the Roman Catholic school did not detail the alleged violations of team rules.
The off-court problems compound what has arguably been one of the worst seasons for St. John's (5-14, 0-8 Big East), the fifth-winningest program in college basketball.
The players couldn't be located for comment. A message left at a phone number listed for a Grady Reynolds in Abbeyville, Alabama, the player's hometown, was not returned.
A telephone number for Urbanek-Bach in New York was disconnected.
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