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Did Tulane quarterback TJ Finley knowingly acquire a stolen pickup truck or is he just an innocent pigeon in a larger online scheme?
According to attorneys for the 23-year-old, Finley is the ‘victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam,’ which has since resulted in his arrest in Louisiana and his suspension amid the Green Wave’s spring practices.
Finley was arrested last week when New Orleans police looked into a complaint about a Dodge Ram blocking a residential driveway. When officers discovered the truck’s license plate didn’t match official records, they soon learned the tag was really for another vehicle owned by Finley, while the Ram came up as being stolen from Atlanta.
Confronted by officers when he arrived to move the truck, Finley told police he recently bought the car in Atlanta, where it was confirmed to have been stolen, according to NoLa.com.
‘He purchased a used pickup truck from an individual who presented himself as John Spillway, representing Mountain Adventures, LLC. Spillway presented TJ with both a bill of sale and registration, giving TJ every reason to believe the purchase was legitimate,’ read a statement from attorneys David Courcelle and Scott Stansbury.
‘Within three days of the purchase, Tulane police informed TJ that the truck had been reported stolen.
According to attorneys for the 23-year-old, Finley is the ‘victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam,’ which has since resulted in his arrest in Louisiana
TJ Finley (1) warms up for the TicketSmarter Birmingham Bowl between the Houston Cougars and the Auburn Tigers on December 28, 2021 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham
‘TJ looks forward to continuing to cooperate fully with the authorities in hopes of recovering the funds he lost, bringing the criminal(s) to justice, and clearing his name and reputation,’ the statement continued. ‘TJ is hopeful that this process will be completed quickly so that he can move forward with his academics and athletic career.’
Finley was booked at Orleans Parish jail on a charge of illegal possession of stolen items worth $25,000 or more. He’s since been released and is due back in court on June 1.
The journeyman signal caller is now on his fifth college after previously playing for LSU, Auburn, Texas State and Western Kentucky.
Standing 6-foot-7 and 238 pounds, the Ponchatoula, Louisiana native had his best season for Texas State in 2023, throwing for 2,439 yards and 24 touchdowns while surrendering only eight interceptions.
Last season he suffered an ankle injury for Western Kentucky, limiting to just three games and helping him to remain eligible for the 2025 season.
The Green Wave held spring practice without Finely on Thursday as two other transfers, Kadin Semonza from Ball State and Donovan Leary from Illinois, handled the duties under center.
Afterwards, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall briefly addressed Finley’s suspension.
‘When guys make mistakes, then they have to have accountability,’ Sumrall said.
