3 Illinois players arrested after alleged robbery was played off as joke when 1 player was recognized

This is no laughing matter.

Wednesday, three Illinois football players were arrested and charged with home invasion as well as armed robbery. The charges stem from an incident early Wednesday morning when Darta Lee, Zarrian Holcombe and Howard Watkins allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of cash from a man in an Illinois dorm.

This wasn’t your typical robbery, however, according to Champaigne, Ill. police lieutenant David Shaffer. Shaffer called it a “stupid plan.”

“Three individuals entered an apartment masked and the victim recognized one of them by voice,” Shaffer said. “He pulled his mask off and tried to make light of the situation. One of them produced what we now know to be fake firearm and demanded cash.”

The gun was in fact a BB gun, and according to a state attorney, the players described the incident as a prank.

The players have already been disciplined by Illinois coach Lovie Smith, who certainly wasn’t laughing about the situation either.