Emanuel ‘Tiki’ Mayben, a former Binghamton University men’s basketball player, was sentenced to five years of probation on July 13 for felony drug charges.
The former point guard was indicted on drug charges for selling cocaine twice on June 29, 2009. Additionally, when he was arrested on Sept. 23, 2009, Troy police allegedly found 3.4 grams of cocaine on his person.
On Sept. 24, 2009, Mayben was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, all felonies.
According to a report by the Times Union in Albany, Mayben pleaded guilty to the charge of fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in May, but the plea was not initially accepted by Judge Andrew Ceresia and Rensselaer County Assistant District Attorney Shane Hug because Mayben downplayed his involvement in the sale of cocaine.
Mayben’s plea was eventually accepted.
‘We’re OK with his disposition,’ said Rensselaer County District Attorney Richard McNally. ‘You hope to benevolently manipulate the situation so that he straightens up.’
McNally added that probation was standard for the allegations with which Mayben was charged.
‘For a first-time offender with his background, [probation] is pretty typical in the criminal justice system,’ McNally said. ‘If he violates his terms and conditions of probation, which consists of two pages setting out rules of behavior and conduct, then he will have violated his probation and could end up in state prison.’
After the sentencing, Mayben’s attorney Gregory Cholakis told the Times Union, ‘He has never been arrested before and I don’t know of any of the kids his age in that neighborhood who have not had arrest problems.’
Cholakis added, ‘He is a really good kid and knows this situation should have never happened.’
Mayben was permanently dismissed from BU’s basketball team on Sept. 24 after originally pleading not guilty to the drug charges.
Former University President Lois DeFleur released a statement shortly after Mayben’s dismissal announcing that the University ‘will not tolerate this behavior in our student-athletes.’
Mayben, who was one of the Bearcats’ leading scorers, was one of six players to be dismissed from the team late last September. The dismissals prompted an audit of the athletic department conducted by Judge Judith Kaye on behalf of the State University of New York.
The dismissals also resulted in the suspension of men’s basketball coach Kevin Broadus, and the resignation of then-athletic director Joel Thirer.
The cause for the dismissals was not originally known, although the audit cited the players as being charged with a wide range of misconduct.
Former Bearcat Derrick ‘D.J.’ Rivera was formally indicted on June 1 of this year on three felony counts and a misdemeanor in relation to the use of a stolen debit card.
The other players dismissed from the team were David Fine, Malik Alvin, Paul Crosby and Cory Chandler.