Video: Several AAU basketball players got the munchies and stole $40 worth of snacks from a 7-Eleven store. Lemonade, Gatorade, sausages, and gummy bears were stolen
Five Washington DC teens and their basketball coach were arrested in Polk County, Florida on July 23, 2026 after an investigation of theft conspiracy at a 7-Eleven store. The coach is Malik Harvey, 27. The players are identified as 17-year-old Tavion Rashaud Hale, 16-year-old Taureon Darnell Ferrell, 16-year-old Obai Sankoh Sheriff, 16-year-old James Thomas Hall, and 17-year-old Tyjuan Grover.
The teen suspects were a traveling AAU basketball team from Washington D.C. The teens were in Polk county, FL for the Puma NXTPro basketball tournament.
The AAU basketball team was staying at a Solterra Resorts vacation rental. At 4:10 am. the teen suspects walked into the 7-Eleven to steal merchandise such as Doritos, gummies, Starburst Minis, a Big Mama sausage, lemonade, Gatorade, and grape and orange Slurpees.
The total value of the theft was $37.60. A clerk confronted the suspects about the thefts and they fled the store. Deputies responded to the area and located three of the suspects near the entrance to Solterra after they placed the stolen goods into a backpack and hid it in the bushes.
A detective made contact with the team’s coach Malik and asked if he could identify the remaining two suspects from the security video.
Later in the morning, the remaining two suspects were located and they admitted that Harvey was their coach. Coach Harvey then confessed to lying about not knowing the other two suspects to protect them.
The five theft suspects were each charged with Conspiracy to Commit Retail Theft (F3), Tampering with Evidence (F3), Petit Theft (M1), and Violation of the County Curfew Ordinance for Juveniles (M).
Coach Harvey was also arrested and charged with Child Neglect (F3) Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (M1), Accessory after the Fact (M1), and Resisting without Violence (M1).
Harvey is employed by the Department of Juvenile Services at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center where his responsibilities include assisting and empowering youth.
