Former OSU football player facing 25 charges in connection to multiple robberies
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A former Ohio State football player is facing 25 total charges from accusations of multiple robberies over the past two months.
According to court documents, Marcus Williamson, 25, is charged with 17 counts of robbery and eight counts of theft. The charges stem from eight incidents over seven weeks ranging from March 7 through April 24. The robbery charges are second- or third-degree felonies, while most of the theft charges are fifth-degree felonies. Two of the theft charges are misdemeanors.
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In the most recent incident, police say that Williamson entered a First Merchant’s Bank on North High Street in the Sharon Heights neighborhood at 10:42 a.m. He reportedly presented a note to a bank teller and demanded money. The note read that he was armed with a gun.
The clerk gave Williamson the cash, then he fled from the bank on foot before getting in a blue Jeep and fleeing the area. Police witnessed Williamson committing the offense and fleeing, according to court records. He was taken into custody without incident and police recovered the stolen cash.
On Friday, Williamson’s case in Franklin County Municipal Court was transferred to the Court of Common Pleas. Monday afternoon, a judge issued Williamson a $150,000 bond at an arraignment hearing.
Williamson, a Westerville native, played 47 games as a cornerback for the Buckeyes from 2017 to 2021. In high school, he played at Westerville South before transferring to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, his senior season. He graduated from Ohio State in 2020 with a degree in history.
One year later, Williamson was arrested on robbery and kidnapping charges in Memphis, Tennessee. A woman claimed a suspect, whom she later identified as Williamson, implied he had a weapon and forced her to drive to an ATM and withdraw $500. Court records sharing the outcome of that case were unavailable online.
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