Two University of Maine students face felony charges and school sanctions after they allegedly stole textbooks from other students and sold them for cash at the university bookstore.

Antonio Walcott, 18, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Denzal Person, 18, of East Patchogue, N.Y., were arrested and charged with burglary on Dec 14. Both live on campus and are freshmen who were on the Black Bear football team.

According to university spokesman Joe Carr, Walcott and Person allegedly stole the used textbooks from unlocked student rooms in Cumberland and Androscoggin halls. On Friday, Dec. 14, they took the textbooks to the university bookstore and turned them in for $754.15 in cash, Carr said.

Person returned nine books for $327.15 and Walcott returned 11 books for $427, Carr said. The bookstore was conducting its end-of-semester textbook buyback.

Bookstore staff became suspicious because there were multiple copies of the same books and notified the campus Department of Public Safety. According to Carr, public safety officials took the call from the bookstore at the same time they began getting calls from students about stolen books.

Person and Walcott were arrested, taken to Penobscot County Jail in Bangor and released on bail. An arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 8 in Penobscot County Superior Court.

Both students face university sanctions in addition to the legal charges pending against them. In October, in response to a series of offenses involving student athletes, UMaine President Robert Kennedy doubled all penalties in the student conduct code and the student athlete code of conduct, Carr noted. The policy is still in effect.

Person, a 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound wide receiver, did not appear in any games for UMaine during 2007 and left the football team at the end of the season. He is subject to sanctions for violating the student conduct code.

Walcott, a 5-foot-5-inch, 160-pound running back and wide receiver, was used occasionally in the UMaine offense and emerged as a threat on kickoff and punt returns while appearing in all 11 games for the Black Bears in 2007.

He has been suspended indefinitely from the football team and is subject to sanctions for violations of the student conduct code and the student athlete code of conduct.

Walcott also was expected to join the UMaine baseball team for workouts in preparation for the 2008 season. Carr said any athletic sanctions could affect Walcott’s status on the baseball team.

BDN writer Pete Warner contributed to this report.

mhaskell@bangordailynews.net

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