Former NBA All-Star Chris Gatling (pictured) faces criminal charges, after being accused of squatting in an upscale Paradise Valley, Ariz., home for more than a year then trying to rent the residence on Craigslist, according to CBS 5.
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An Arizona police document states that Gatling allegedly broke in to a key box and set up house from July 2010 to August 2011. The actual owners of the home in question live in California, and they reportedly left the home furnished with the utilities on as well.
Authorities also report that the 45-year-old ex-baller then placed an ad on Craigslist, listing the four bedroom home with an $800-a-month rental price that included a pool and utilities and stating that the property was an “Ex-NBA home.”
Court records reveal that Gatling reportedly received a down payment from one prospective renter but when another also inquired about the property, he or she became suspicious about the entire set up and alerted police.
According to Gatling’s lawyer, Michael Alarid, the entire case has just been a “misunderstanding.” The attorney went on to tell CBS 5, “We’re hopeful that we can resolve everything as soon as possible.”
The 6’10” forward/center, whose trademarked headband-wearing style took him through a decade-plus of professional ball playing from the Golden State Warriors to the Miami Heat to the Dallas Mavericks with a 19 point average, also has a checkered criminal past.
Gatling was accused of forging personal checks from his ex-girlfriend and “funneling the money through College Bound All-Stars, a traveling youth basketball league that he managed and operated.”
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