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Antoine Walker gets probation in casino case

Print | Comments () Posted by Gary Dzen, Boston.com Staff December 6, 2011 03:54 PM

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Antoine Walker, one of the most popular players in recent Celtics history and a cautionary tale for athletes on what not to do with the money earned from lucrative contracts, avoided jail time Tuesday in a Las Vegas casino case.

From the Associated Press:

Walker was sentenced Tuesday to five years of probation and ordered to pay $770,050 in restitution to three Las Vegas casinos after pleading guilty to failing to repay gambling debts.
Walker and his lawyer declined to comment after his brief appearance before Clark County District Court Judge Valorie Vega.

Walker has repaid some of his Las Vegas casino debts since his arrest in July 2009 in Lake Tahoe, where he planned to play in a celebrity golf tournament.

The felony charge could be dismissed if Walker fully repays the remaining debts incurred in 2008 and 2009 at the Planet Hollywood, Red Rock Casino Resort and Caesars Palace casinos, prosecutor Samuel Bateman said. Walker faces a year in prison if he violates probation.

Walker, 35, played with the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League last season.