Nelson Dismissed From NMSU Team After ‘No Contest’ Plea

LAS CRUCES, NM – A star player on the New Mexico State University basketball team pleaded “no contest” to robbery charges Tuesday. Following the plea, NMSU dismissed Tyrone Nelson from the team.

Nelson ischarged with robbery in an incident involving a pizza delivery man. Prosecutors say Nelson and two accomplices jumped a Domino’s Pizza driver, stole his pizzas and ran off.

“He is a leader on the court, but a follower off the court,”said Mario Esparza, Nelson’s attorney. “I think that based onwhat they thought was a prank and an easy way to get pizza.”

Although Esparzabelieves Nelson’s actions were simply a prank, prosecutors asked the court to consider what the pizza delivery man had to endure. “The person was hit upside the head and knocked to the groundand his glasses were damaged. So it’s more than just taking a pizza. It’s taking a pizza by force,” said Jacinto Palomino, the prosecutor on the case.

According to investigators, Nelson tried to bribe a witness with drugs and cash to lie about the robbery a few weeks after the incident.

Nelson, a Western Athletic Conference All-Conference player, was a key contributor to the Aggies’ NCAA Tournament run last year. He has maintained his innocence throughout the entire ordeal and university officialsstood behind him – allowing him to play all last season.

Nelson’s trialwas set to begin later this week.