NBC 7’s Steve Luke has more details.
Former San Ysidro High School basketball star Mikey Williams has pleaded guilty to a single count of making criminal threats in connection with a non-injury shooting outside his Jamul home.
"As part of the plea, he must attend cognitive behavioral therapy, gun safety and anger management classes," Steve Walker, communications director with the DA's office, told NBC 7. "He must complete 80 hours of community service as well."
If Williams successfully completes all the conditions of the agreement and has no new violations, the charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor, Walker told NBC 7.
As part of the plea deal, Williams is forbidden to possess a firearm, and, at sentencing on Aug. 12, 2024, a 10-year gun restriction will be placed on his record.
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The star Memphis basketball recruit Mikey Williams faced multiple felony charges after the March 27. He has been free on a $50,000 bond since his arrest on April 13.
An argument at Williams' $1.2 million home in unincorporated Jamul in eastern San Diego County just before midnight that night ended with gunshots being fired at a car that was leaving the house with five passengers inside, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. Bullets hit the car, but nobody inside was injured, authorities said.
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Williams had faced decades in prison if he was convicted of all the charges.
Testimony at Williams’ preliminary hearing indicated there were six people in the car, including an Uber driver, and that Williams had made threats. That testimony led the prosecution to add an additional count of assault with a weapon and two counts of making threats.
A juvenile witness testified she and a group of friends took an Uber to Williams' home so she could meet with JJ Taylor, who was living there and also has committed to play at Memphis. The girl said she went inside while the others waited in the car, but that Williams appeared angry and began to make threats.
Also at Williams’ preliminary hearing, Thompson-Taylor said that while no witnesses saw Williams fire a gun, there is probable cause to move the case forward based on testimony that witnesses saw him with a gun and heard him threaten to kill them. Modlin presented photos of bullet holes in a Tesla Model 3 that transported five people to Williams’ home.
Williams is enrolled in online classes at Memphis and remains on the roster but did not have access to team facilities or activities, and his status with the program will be determined when the court case is resolved, the school said late in September.
The Tigers began practice on Sept. 25 and opened the season Nov. 6 at home against Jackson State.
Williams was one of the name, image and likeness era’s earliest stars, securing a multiyear deal with shoe and athletic apparel maker Puma for an undisclosed amount in 2021. He had millions of followers across his social media platforms before apparently deactivating them. On3.com once estimated his NIL valuation at $3.6 million, but Williams’ name no longer appears in the rankings.
