Police seeking ex-Husker in earlier theft, new fraud cases

A former Husker who got a chance on diversion for a felony theft last summer now is being sought by police in the same case and a new one.

Andre Jones, 25, was arrested in August on allegations he stole a 50-inch plasma-screen TV two months earlier. The case was dismissed to pretrial diversion in September.

But late last month, prosecutors renewed the criminal case and sought a warrant for his arrest after diversion didn’t work out.

They also sought a warrant on an allegation that came out last month that he’d forged a signature on a $20,000 loan.

In the earlier incident, police alleged Jones stole a 50-inch Pioneer TV worth about $2,800 from the basement of a home where he’d been staying in June.

The owner of the home, the father of a football player, told police Jones was the only one who hadn’t moved out for the summer by June 1. On June 25, he discovered the TV had been taken.

Police found it at Capital City Pawn, 2727 N. 11th St., where the pawn listing indicated Jones pawned it June 25. An employee told police Jones said he was a football player and got the TV for playing in a bowl game.

In the second warrant filed last month, Jones stands accused of criminal impersonation. Officer Katie Flood alleged Jones forged the signature of a 23-year-old acquaintance as a co-signer on a application for a $20,000 loan through Sallie Mae Education Loan Service.

The woman reported it to police Jan. 14, after she started receiving mail from Sallie Mae about the loan, Flood said.

Jones, a native of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., joined the Huskers for the 2006 season after playing junior college ball at Fresno City Community College. During his first year in Lincoln, he started all but one game at cornerback and led the team with 52 solo tackles.

Jones played in 10 games in 2007 in a reserve role. While he didn’t start at corner, he saw some action as a returner, and finished second on the team in total return yards (456) to Cortney Grixby.