Citadel QB being held in jail

On a clear, crisp Saturday afternoon in October, Miguel Starks stood next to Citadel football coach Kevin Higgins on the field at Johnson Hagood Stadium.

As The Citadel band played the military school's alma mater celebrating the Bulldogs' 38-28 victory over rival Furman, Starks leaned over and whispered to Higgins, 'Coach, thanks for the opportunity.'

Starting for injured quarterback Bart Blanchard, Starks ran for four touchdowns and passed for a fifth score in the Bulldogs' biggest win of the season. That day his future seemed as bright as the Citadel blue sky — a talented 6-foot-2-inch, 219-pound sophomore and the top candidate to be starting quarterback in 2010.

All of that came crashing down early Saturday morning when Starks, a 19-year-old from Atlanta, was arrested and charged with armed robbery, first-degree burglary, kidnapping and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime — charges that could result in a lengthy prison term if Starks is found guilty.

The victim in the case is one of Starks' own coaches at The Citadel, assistant coach Joshua Harpe of West Ashley.

A police affidavit states Starks pointed "a handgun (semiauto) at the victim, struck him once in the head with the handgun and ordered him back into (the) apartment ... The defendant ... then bound the victim with black duct tape around his legs, mouth and eyes and threw him face down on the living room floor."

At a bond hearing Sunday morning, Starks was denied bail on the burglary charge, as were Reggie Rice, a 22-year-old former Citadel football player, and Stephen Francois, a 20-year-old College of Charleston student. On the other charges, Starks received a $250,000 surety bond. Rice, who faces the same charges as Starks, received a $350,000 bond; and Francois got a $200,000 bond on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping. They cannot leave jail until a circuit court judge grants bail on the first-degree burglary charges.

Sasha Gaskins, an 18-year-old College of Charleston student from Laurens, received a $50,000 bond on a charge of accessory after the fact.

A Citadel official said Sunday that Starks remains enrolled in the Corps of Cadets. Later Sunday, Higgins issued a statement calling the incident "senseless."

"Like the rest of The Citadel community, we are shocked, angry and saddened by the alleged events involving Miguel Starks. ... Senseless does not begin to describe the situation. Miguel is an only child, loved and provided well for by his parents Michael and Sharon. He has many talents and football is just one of them.

"We will continue to cooperate with the investigation in any way that we are asked, and we will continue to move forward with the mission of our program and use this as a teachable moment that will help us educate principled leaders that will make our school and program proud."

After Starks was absent from the opening session of spring practice Saturday, Higgins said he had informed Starks earlier in the week that the quarterback would miss spring drills in order to concentrate on academics.

That was just a few hours after Starks had been arrested, and less than a month after Higgins had cited Starks' running ability as one reason The Citadel would switch to a run-oriented option offense next season.

That the victim was a Citadel assistant coach only added to the shock felt on the military school's campus. Harpe, himself a former Citadel player, is a 2007 graduate and is the Bulldogs' offensive quality control coach and director of football operations. He became a student assistant in 2006 after an ankle injury ended his playing career.

The scene at Sunday's bond hearing before Magistrate Priscilla Baldwin was one of emotional devastation for the families involved. Starks' father , who wore a blue hat with "Starks No. 17" stitched into the side, hugged Jim Harpe, the victim's father. Bulldogs football player Tolu Akindele, the only person from The Citadel to show up for the hearing, wrapped his arm around Starks' mother and consoled her.

During the hearing, Miguel Starks told Baldwin that he lives in an off-campus apartment in West Ashley. He wore a plaid shirt and answered Baldwin's questions by saying, "Yes, ma'am."

Asked for a victim's statement, an emotional Jim Harpe told Baldwin, "We are concerned about the safety of our son. We love the Starks, but ..." before trailing off.

Neither set of parents wanted to comment after the hearing, but Jim Harpe said his son was physically OK. Akindele, a sophomore from Houston, ushered the Starks into a car and drove them away.

Miguel Starks is the apparent link among the suspects. He and Rice were teammates at The Citadel, and Starks and Francois both went to Mundy's Mill High School in the Atlanta area, where Francois apparently played football and baseball.

Francois is identified as Gaskins' boyfriend in the police affidavit. Rice told the magistrate Sunday that he works temporary construction jobs and does not have a permanent address. He said he had just returned to Charleston last week after about a year away.

The affidavit states that early Saturday morning, Gaskins "was advised by Miguel Starks to call the victim from a pay phone" and to say "that she had broken down at the Lowe's store and that (Harpe) should come and assist her."

When Harpe emerged from his apartment, the affidavit said, he was confronted by Starks, Rice and Francois. After Harpe was bound with duct tape, the three men stole electronic devices and other property. Starks is accused of taking Harpe's bank card and withdrawing $220 from three different ATMs, according to the affidavit.

The three "then placed the victim's property in trash bags and removed it from the apartment."

After Harpe freed himself, he called police, according to Charleston police information officer Charles Francis. About 5:30 a.m. Saturday, police saw a vehicle occupied by two men matching the descriptions of the suspects. The men were detained, and further investigation led to the two other suspects and the recovery of stolen property, police said.