ODESSA, Texas – A lot of guys dream about going back to high school and recapturing their athletic glory days. A man who went by the name of Jerry Joseph did it, police say, and now he’s in big trouble.
Authorities say the boyish-looking 22-year-old posed as a 16-year-old sophomore phenom to lead the Permian High School basketball team to the state playoffs. He was jailed on fraud charges, and the rabidly competitive West Texas high school that inspired the movie “Friday Night Lights” may have to forfeit its season.
“Everyone just thought he was a big guy,” said Permian senior football player Steven Pipes. “He played the part good, skipping down the hallways acting goofy like a 16-year-old.” Joseph was a starter and played center and forward. But suspicions about the player’s identity first arose when three Florida basketball coaches familiar with a former player named Guerdwich Montimere recognized him last month at an amateur tournament in Little Rock, Ark. Montimere, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Haiti, graduated from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale in 2007.
School officials and immigration authorities initially believed Joseph when he denied the allegations and let him remain enrolled. But school police and immigration agents confirmed Montimere’s identity Tuesday. When confronted, he confessed, said school district spokesman Mike Adkins.
I’m assuming schools don’t check birth certificates for enrollment anymore?
don’t start the birth certificate talk again…
Silly Texans, high schools for kids.
Benjamin is turned on.
“I’m assuming schools don’t check birth certificates for enrollment anymore?”
Neither does the White House.
Just kidding. I’m not a birther, but I want to see bobbo’s head explode.
It’s probably illegal for schools to ask for birth certificates or any form of identification. They wouldn’t want to offend the illegal immigrants.
Here is a hand grenade into the conversation: Would you rather public schools allow everyone of the eligible age (including illegals) or have a large population of uneducated children and teenagers with nothing to do during the day with no supervision. The second alternative would have a huge impact on crime and therefore on budgets for law enforcement, security, and incarceration. In my opinion, the first alternative has a much, much smaller impact on local and state budgets.
#6 or rather just fine employers that hire illegals. Then illegals would either have to go home or become legal.
#6 Cap’nKangaroo
The Goddamn Germans have nothing to do with it.
it’s never too late to have a happy childhood…
Dumb Texas will probably execute him or something if Bush were in charge. It is not as though the guy got paid for playing high school basketball (though in Texas who knows). I am guessing he had to go to school as well and do schoolwork. Seems like the guy just has some emotional problems.
I’m sure the law would require insurance to play, ID of some sort with a parent/guardian to attend because of custody issues, etc.
I’m also sure he produced fakes.
#5, its not illegal for schools to ask for birth certificates, as is not illegal for kids to go to school even thought they don’t have a ssn.
I wonder if he had an underage girlfriend in that school he was nailin…
I know several women who shave more than six years off their real age.
And what’s the harm? Who did he hurt? Sue him for school costs and be done with it. Incarcerating him does no one any good!!
First, Tx is stupid for enrolling him. 2nd, Tx is stupid for incarcerating him! Shouldn’t the school admin be fired?
Now he’s in trouble for having sex with a 15 year old girl in the school.
So what’s the harm? Who did he hurt?
Well for starters, statutory rape. Send him to jail or send his ass back to Haiti.
The story you posted doesn’t say this, but you can find it elsewhere. He did present a birth certificate and claimed both his parents were dead. It was a Haitian birth record stating he was born in 1994. They were required by law to enroll him. Doesn’t say if the law was state or federal.