Former University of Michigan football player charged in attempted robbery, larcenies
A former University of Michigan cornerback is accused of attempting to rob a cab driver Sunday and stealing money from two food deliverymen last month, Ann Arbor police said.
Boubacar Cissoko, 20, who was kicked off the team in October, was arraigned this afternoon at the Washtenaw County Jail on a charge of assault with intent to rob while armed and two counts of larceny from a person.
Ann Arbor police say a driver for Blue Cab picked up Cissoko at The 5th Quarter, a bar on South Fifth Avenue, and agreed to give him a ride to the 600 block of Packard Street early Sunday.
Michigan's Boubacar Cissoko is shown in this file photo taken during the first half of the Wolverine's 2009 season opener 31-7 win.
File photo
When the cab neared Packard and Mary streets about 12:20 a.m., Cissoko pointed a pellet gun at the driver and demanded money, Det. Sgt. Brian Jatczak said. The pellet gun looked like a real handgun, Jatczak said.
“The cab driver resisted and said he was gonna call the police, and the suspect got out of the cab and ran,” Jatczak said.
University of Michigan police spotted Cissoko five minutes later in the 500 block of Thompson Street and arrested him. He was taken to Ann Arbor police headquarters and was questioned by detectives, police said.
Police say they were able to link Cissoko to two thefts March 13 from food deliverymen in less than a 90-minute span. Investigators say Cissoko snatched money from the hand of a deliveryman for Mr. Spot's about 12:11 a.m. in the 600 block of Mary Court. The deliveryman was dropping off an order of Philly cheese steaks. Cissoko also is accused of grabbing money from the hand of a deliveryman for Cottage Inn about 1:37 a.m. in the 900 block of Greenwood Avenue, which is in the same area. That deliveryman was dropping off pizza.
Police say Cissoko would have food delivered, then ask for change for a large bill, which required the deliverymen to go back to their businesses to get it. When they returned, Cissoko would reach into his pocket or otherwise pretend he was going to pay, then snatch cash from the deliverymen and run away, police said.
Cissoko was dismissed from the team after violating unspecified team rules twice in 2009.
This is the third time he's been arrested in less than a year.
Cissoko was arrested by Ypsilanti police in January after officers searched him and say they found an unspecified amount of marijuana. He confessed he intended to sell the marijuana, a police incident log said. The status of that case is unclear. Ypsilanti police Sgt. Kevin Dorsey did not immediately have details this afternoon.
Cissoko also was arrested last June on a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a traffic incident in Detroit. That charge was later dismissed.
Cissoko started the first four games as a sophomore during the 2009 season, then missed two games because of his first suspension. He saw limited action against Penn State before being kicked off the team.
Cissoko said during his arraignment that he is living in Ypsilanti and is unemployed. A public defender was appointed to represent him. He is being held on $70,000 bond and is scheduled to return to court April 28.
Lee Higgins covers crime and courts for AnnArbor.com. Reach him by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.
Comments
KeepingItReal
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 4:05 p.m.
Mitch: Why are yous o bent on defending RR. Know one is blaming him for BC troubles. The examples you used of RR helping players here at Michigan are minor and fairly routine. As for the Mealers, that's nice. However, for you to assume that BC did not want to be helped is absolutely absurd. He had become a liability to the team and there was only so much that RR or the U was going do to help him. I hope you get that job that you are auditioning for.
Terry Star21
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 12:51 p.m.
This is outrageous. These fabrications against RichRod, and this is not a recruiting story! Obviously outsiders here have not been on the inside, and seen this fine coach, fine man. I have talked with coach and his wife Rita, several players and you will not find a better family situation at any University. The naysayers here use their bashings of coach from negative stories they have read... guess what, what about all the good stories, remember the one about Robinson and his two teammates from the small town in Florida, how they all said, far away from home, they all feel like 'family' here. And there are many more, RichRod takes care of his Michigan family, yet moves desicevly in trouble situations. NEWS FLASH... RichRod was a Michigan man the moment he stepped off the plane here in 2008, and his immediate family, friends and student athletes are Michigan family. NEWS FLASH... RichRod will be here as long as he wants, and I'm hoping that is a long time.
KeepingItReal
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 12:32 p.m.
Tru2Blu76, Tigger: I think your analysis of the situation are on target. I have a real problem with coaches who recruit these young men from troubled environments and when a personal issues comes up, they have no clue how to help that young person address this issue. In reading the comments on this thread, many can only see that he was given such a wonderful opportunity to perform at such a wonderful institutions. They forget, this wonderful institutions is only as supportive as his worth to the school. Yes, he blew it. He ultimately has to assume responsibility for that. But, I take exception to these coaches who only see these young men in terms of their contribution to their career. These are human beings and when problems arise with them, they need to be adequately addressed. Agai, I hope that parents/guardians pay attention to who recruit their children to perform at their institution.
Edward R. Murrow's ghost
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 11:55 a.m.
I love it that this gets laid at Lloyd Carr's feet. The question is not WHO did the recruiting. Given the nature of major college football and basketball, there are going to be players on every team whose past might tend toward problematic behavior. The key question is how the coaching staff responds when its players get in trouble. Coach Carr had a reputation of working with players who landed in trouble so as to help them get their lives on track. Brian Griese was one example, Kelly Baraka was another. Neither were dismissed when they had disciplinary problems. Carr and his staff worked to help them turn their lives around. They succeeded with Griese but failed with Baraka. But the point here is that, at the first sign of trouble, they were not cut loose. The same cannot be said of RichRod. Violate team rules and you're gone. Little patience for and even less ability to work with troubled players on the team. Like so much cannon fodder RichRod uses people and then discards them once they are more trouble than they are worth to him. A real class act, our coach. Thank GOD this will almost certainly be his last season.
81wolverine
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 11:41 a.m.
That's awful. It's always disheartening to see a person go the wrong way in life - especially one who was given such a great opportunity (full scholarship to a great school like Michigan). Cissoko obviously has a lot of internal issues that he needs to deal with quickly, before he ends up with a long prison sentence. I sure hope that he straightens out, but it appears since getting kicked off the team, his life is spiraling the wrong way.
krc
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 9:53 a.m.
Glad to hear he wasn't released on "personal recognicance".
KeepingItReal
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 6:54 a.m.
Mitch, What difference does it make who recruited this young man. He obviously has problems but no one seems to have noticed or tried to help him. Their solution was to get rid of him. While he has to take responsibility for his actions, I hope that other players and their parents/guardians take note of this situation before they entrust the welfare of their sons to a program.
Christian
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 3:16 a.m.
***What's hilarious is that the annarbor.com staff is so quick to censor comments from non-UM fans, yet fails to even consider censoring hate speech from the likes of Wolverine fans like "tater." No matter how vile, disgusting, and libelous "tater" proves to be through his immature, obsessive comments, they are allowed to be shown for all to see. Wolverine fans must be proud to have such an honorable figure in "tater" representing their university (although it is well-documented that "tater" attended EMU and therefore should be referred to as a Walmarterine).
Christian
Wed, Apr 21, 2010 : 3:14 a.m.
What's hilarious is that the annarbor.com staff is so quick to censor comments from non-UM fans, yet fails to even consider censoring hate speech from the likes of Wolverine fans like "tater." No matter how vile, disgusting, and libelous "tater" proves to be through he comments, his immature comments are allowed to be shown for all to see. Wolverine fans must be proud to have such an honorable figure in "tater" representing their university (although it is well-documented that "tater" attended EMU and therefore should be referred to as a Walmarterine.
tomhagan
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 11:33 p.m.
Cute Photo "Mitch". Pretty gutless of you or whoever banned my prior message even though it was not inflamatory, not offensive and in no way violated AAs terms here. But....whatever....the message is still the same and you know it deep in your heart. For you to question my allegiance to Michigan is also a joke...you have no clue pal...no clue...just keep grazing with the masses while the rest of us figure out a way to rebuild OUR football program. Peace.
chapmaja
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 11:13 p.m.
So this guy is an idiot. He isn't the first idiot ever to be enrolled at a school in Michigan. Michigan has had idiots get into legal trouble. MSU has had it happen. It's happened at GVSU, Ferris, WSU, NMU and MTU as well as Albion and Hope that I know of. The only reason this is even a major stroy is it was at Michigan. Michigan is no different than any other school. Sometimes you have idiots that get into the school and can't control themselves. I doubt he is still enrolled at Michigan. When he got kicked off the team, he likely had his scholarship pulled, meaning no more school or living on campus. That means he likely has been living in the poor house since the end of the semester. That would explain his need to steal petty cash from two delivery people. I'm sure those guys weren't carrying wads of $100's at the time. If they are like most delivery people I know, they had enough to make change for a $20 or at most a $50 on them. Also, how really cares who the coach that recruited him was. He was recruited by a lot of different schools out of high school so him being a Lloyd Carr recruit not a RichRod recruit really means JackSH_T.
MetricSU
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 10:50 p.m.
I'm not impressed with the reading comprehension over here, or the ability to understand basic facts. Fred Smith spent four days in jail for his part in the Rather Hall incident. Yes, it was premeditated, and it was stupid. But, in the end, it was a few football players having a beef with a fraternity, and a bunch of other football players stupidly went along as protection. So, after serving his four days, Fred Smith gets a second chance. As far as we know, Rather Hall was Fred's first incident. Cissoko was arrested the first time in June but was on the team when the season started in the fall. So RR gave Cissoko a second chance, too. Clearly a second (at least) incident occurred that got Cissoko booted in October. But let's be clear: Dantonio kicked anyone off the team for whom Rather was not a first-time offense. That's just like RR in case you can't count. The MSU players for whom Rather was a first offense were allowed back on the team. So Dantonio is giving them a second chance, just like RR did.
MetricSU
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 9:14 p.m.
tater's comment does raise an interesting question. Is Cissoko still enrolled as a student at UM? If so, kicking him off the football team but still allowing him on campus doesn't exactly keep the student body and AA residents safer. Just the opposite, as we have now seen. With all the free time on his hands, Cissoko found a way to get into trouble. Should Cissoko have been given another chance on the football team? Probably not. But I don't think I would compare armed robbery with a fracas with a fraternity. And it's pretty clear that Cissoko was given at least a second chance -- just like the football player from you know where.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 8:50 p.m.
".I know it's just me, but did we fail him" No he failed "us". "We" offered him a free education at a top notch University in exchange for him playing some football and staying out of trouble. He didn't hold up his end of the deal. The only way "we" failed him was to enroll him here to begin with IF academically he had no business being here.
BowlForBlue
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 8:40 p.m.
This young man had so much going for him... I didn't read anywhere here or in past articles - just why he needed money so bad... I mean we all need money... he did bring this all upon him self, but wonder if somewhere, maybe long ago someone failed him, when he needed them... small point, but it does show the university protected him from getting money from someone close to the U, and that even though someone must of been aware he needed money, he wasn't given any...I know it's just me, but did we fail him (I know we can't save everyone indeed)...
Anonymous Due to Bigotry
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 8:19 p.m.
@Ricebrnr: Universities no longer teach people to think, only what to think. The primary "logic" students are taught is the appeal to authority fallacy. Unpopular ideas will not be tolerated. Back to the topic, it's just incredibly sad when people are willing to commit a felony, and risk getting shot, just to steal maybe $100 or so. (Not sure about cab drivers but I doubt food delivery people ever carry more than $100.) That's right up there with the people who get themselves electrocuted to death trying to steal $20 worth of copper transmission line.
Lee Higgins
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 6:04 p.m.
Hi nick, Our original information from police was that pizza was getting dropped off by Mr. Spot's. We checked again with detectives tonight after your comment and it looks like it was Philly cheese steaks.
nick
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 5:14 p.m.
Mr. Spots doesn't sell pizza, they sell sandwiches. So that person would not be a pizza deliveryman.
Macabre Sunset
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:47 p.m.
Sad to see this happen, but RichRod did make the right call on him. A great athlete who didn't have what it takes internally.
Sam Kirkpatrick
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:38 p.m.
Leaders and best!
Terry Star21
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:35 p.m.
RichRod acted quickly and decisively in dismissing this person... had he been at a school up north a bit, we would surely see him back in the fall.
marineblue
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:29 p.m.
not the point legend. it blows the myth away that this was ONLY a practice, that was employed by RR (questionable recruits). this was a LC recruit that RR decided to retain. when he ran afoul of RR he was dismissed. not to much more you can read into it. the U of M has not been corrupted by RR as much as the haters, CASUAL fans, and the MEDIA would like to assert... it is sad that BC has squandered this once in a life-time opportunity.
Legend
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:17 p.m.
'Lloyd Carr Recruit' - I understand that he was 'recruited' when Lloyd was still officially the coach but exactly how many downs did BC practice and play under Lloyd?
Ricebrnr
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 4:01 p.m.
Wow how fantastic! U of M recruits criminals and expect their students to feel safe? U of M bans lawful self defense and again expects their students to feel safe. Do they teach logic at the U of M?
Wolverine3660
Tue, Apr 20, 2010 : 3:52 p.m.
Hope he gets a long sentence for the multiple criminal acts,and for using a gun to commit a robbery. Even thouhg it was an Airsoft or something like that