Text of the article, since it's a registration site. (I couldn't find it anywhere else)

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The College of Charleston tennis player who said he and another student were forced to smoke crack cocaine at knifepoint in October has been charged with lying to police.

Bastian Moldehnke , 23, turned himself in to Charleston police Monday morning. He was charged with filing a false police report, a felony charge that carries a maximum five-year prison sentence and a $1,000 fine, police said.

His friend and teammate, Priscilla Roberts, 19, who abruptly left town after the incident, was not charged. The solicitor's office told detectives the evidence against Roberts was insufficient because she never filed a report.

Police and Magistrate Linda Lombard called the whole episode a waste of time for detectives.

"You just can't make false reports that alarm the community and send police on a wild goose chase," said Lt. Richard Moser of the Charleston Police Department.

"This was an outrageous waste," Lombard said. "We have you here and you abuse our police department."

In bond court, Detective Paula Tharp told Lombard that she was concerned Moldehnke might flee the country for his hometown in Germany. Moldehnke's lawyer told Lombard that the tennis player has taken the charges seriously.

Lawyer Glenn Churchill said that Moldehnke could have fled but has been totally cooperative with investigators.

"He finds himself in unfamiliar territory," Churchill said. "His liberty is threatened."

Lombard listened to Churchill and Tharp and set a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.

"The only reason I'm doing that is because the trial judge may require you to pay the police department for sending them after this phantom person," Lombard said.

On Oct. 22, Moldehnke told police he and Roberts were kidnapped at knifepoint and forced to smoke crack by a man they encountered on Meeting Street. He told police he and Roberts had been drinking for hours before they were kidnapped, led to an unidentified spot on Mary Street and forced to share their abductor's stash of drugs for four hours.

Moldehnke has quit the tennis team since the incident, said Mike Robertson, a spokesman with the college. Moldehnke had a 7-3 record in singles play in 2005 while on a tennis scholarship at the college. He is a junior with a 3.4 GPA, majoring in business administration, according to the school.

The school is expected to decide in a couple of weeks if Moldehnke will be expelled, Robertson said. Moldehnke could accept a punishment from the school or opt for a hearing before an honor board consisting of faculty and students, Robertson said.

Contact John Chambliss at 937-5573 or jcha­mbl­i­ssr­eir­u­ocdnatsopc­o­m.

Go Cougars!!

Well done Labman!!

I hated when that used to happen to me as an undergrad

Way to represent my alma mater, jackass.

mazer rackham: So why did they call the police and alert them to their crack-smoking ways?

They were on the tennis team and the 'random' drug tests were coming up.

Jive_Turkey: I hated when that used to happen to me as an undergrad

It stopped?

I am SHOCKED!

2005-12-05 11:31:06 AM labman

Hey baby, I am 100% clean!!

despite my posts

"Lombard listened to Churchill and Tharp and set a $10,000 personal recognizance bond."


Churchill and Tharp-- doesn't that sound like some kind of law firm that advertises during daytime tv, promising to help you get out of DUI and assault charges?

frontrowgirl:

the "follow-up" tag is appropriate, but the "obvious" tag would have been so much better.

funny thing is, I submitted it with the obvious tag. they changed it to follow up when it was greenlit.

/15!