A cousin of Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White remained in the Gwinnett County jail Tuesday on armed robbery charges in an alleged home invasion earlier this month.
Ali White, 21, and two other men, are charged with storming into a Lawrenceville home, physically assaulting a man and woman, and stealing some items, including a watch, according to a police report obtained by the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Four years ago, the NFL star took in his cousin to live with him in Atlanta because he was having problems in his native Charleston, S.C. The young man played football for Mill Creek High. He has not lived with White for several months, said White's attorney, Michael LaScala.
Police say four men in ski masks -- one carrying a baseball bat, another carrying a handgun -- barged into the basement of a home on May 2 while a woman and her boyfriend were relaxing and playing a video game. One accused robber still has not been apprehended.
One intruder struck the woman, while another pistol-whipped the man, causing him lacerations. One of the victims was apparently a former classmate of Ali White’s and the two gave police his name, saying they recognized the former nose tackle’s voice and size.
The Gwinnett jail website lists White as facing two counts of armed robbery and another count of possession of a weapon during a crime.
Ali White’s attorney, Tony Taylor, declined comment when reached Sunday. A person who answered the family’s phone in Charleston, S.C. would only say “he is innocent and didn’t do it” before hanging up.
In 2007, Roddy White, a former first-round draft pick, brought his cousin Ali, then 17, from Charleston, S.C., to Atlanta, “after their lives began to wander,” according to a 2008 story in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The teen lived with White, who rose each morning at 7 a.m. to fix breakfast and send him off to school.
Roddy White has risen to become one of the premiere receivers in the league. Earlier this year, he was named the professional athlete of the year by the Atlanta Sports Council.
About the Author
