Gaines also faces attempted larceny charge

Steve Addy

Thursday, Sept. 7, 2000 | 10:32 a.m.

Besides three alcohol-related charges stemming from his Labor Day arrest near Detroit, former Clark High basketball star Kevin Gaines is in more legal trouble.

Gaines, kicked off Michigan's basketball team Tuesday, is also facing an attempted larceny charge for allegedly rifling through a professor's backpack on June 16.

Court records obtained by the Detroit Free Press showed that Gaines pleaded not guilty to the charge July 13 in 15th District Court in Ann Arbor. He faces a pretrial conference Sept. 19, and a conviction could lead to a maximum 47-day jail sentence and $250 fine.

When Wolverines coach Brian Ellerbe dismissed Gaines, he called it the result of "a culmination of things that I will not elaborate on." It is now clear that both arrests played a role in his decision.

On Wednesday, police in the Detroit suburb of Taylor charged Gaines with drunken driving, disorderly intoxication and being a minor in possession of alcohol, the result of his arrest with two Michigan freshman teammates at 3:15 a.m. Monday.

If convicted on the drunken driving charge, Gaines could face a year in jail, fines and a revoked driver's license. The other charges are misdemeanors, each carrying a maximum 90-day sentence. Gaines' arraignment in 23rd District Court has not been scheduled.

After Monday's arrest, Ellerbe had finally reached his limit with Gaines, who was also investigated last November for his alleged involvement in the theft of a Palm Pilot from a female student. The student dropped the complaint after Ellerbe intervened.

"(Gaines) is a young man who obviously has a lot of trouble in his own life," Ellerbe told the Detroit News. "This is a continuous pattern. We tried to educate him over and over and over, but at some point you just have to make a tough decision."

Though Gaines' scholarship was not revoked, he is expected to transfer after finishing the fall semester at Michigan. Early speculation has him landing at UNLV, but Rebels coach Bill Bayno said he hasn't heard from Gaines, and the team likely doesn't have a scholarship available.

The alleged attempted larceny in June occurred in the Natural Science Building at the University of Michigan, police records showed.

According to the university's Department of Public Safety report, biology professor John Kuwada said he entered his office and discovered Gaines there. Gaines said he was looking for a pen to take a test, but when Kuwada offered him a pen, he refused it and left the building.

Kuwada then found his backpack unzipped and opened on the floor, with nothing missing.

Gaines told university police, "I didn't go into no backpack."

His attorney, Nicholas Roumel, said, "The evidence is very weak. There is no evidence (Gaines) went through the backpack."

Gaines was not a student of Kuwada. He was enrolled in another class in the Natural Science Building at the time of the incident, but Gaines' instructor, David Potter, said no test was given June 16.

Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said Gaines was allowed to remain on the team after the attempted larceny charge while the university waited for the case to be resolved.

Gaines, the Sun state player of the year in 1999, had a solid freshman year for Michigan, starting 28 games and averaging 11.7 points and 4.6 assists. He was chosen team co-MVP.