Eastern Michigan SF Emoni Bates Pleads Down to Misdemeanor Charge
October 19, 2022
Eastern Michigan forward Emoni Bates released a statement following a resolution to his legal issues on Wednesday:
Bates pleaded down to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to transport a loaded firearm in a vehicle, according to Anna Liz Nichols of the Detroit News.
He was originally arrested on Sept. 18 and charged with two felonies of carrying a concealed weapon and altering identification marks on a firearm. The felony charges were dismissed last week as part of a plea agreement, per Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel of ESPN.
After being suspended by the university pending resolution of the felony charges, Bates was reinstated.
"I'm very pleased this matter has been resolved so Emoni can get back to school and join his teammates," attorney Steve Haney said.
Bates transferred to Eastern Michigan this offseason, returning to his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The highly touted forward was a 5-star recruit considered the fifth-best player in the 2021 class, per 247Sports composite rankings. After initially committing to Michigan State, he went to Memphis and had an up-and-down first season at the collegiate level.
After scoring at least 15 in each of his first three games, Bates finished with averages of 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
He will now look to make an impact in the Mid-American Conference, trying to rebuild his stock as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft.