Las Cruces, New Mexico—Ex. New Mexico Basketball players have agreed to plea deals in sexual assault cases involving teammates that led to the team’s 2022-23 season being suspended.
Kim Aiken Jr. agreed Tuesday to plead guilty to two felony counts of false imprisonment and one count of conspiracy to commit false imprisonment.
Aiken agreed to testify against another former teammate, DeShawn Washington, whose assault trial is scheduled for February. If the deal goes through, Aiken will be sentenced to 4.5 years of probation. He was initially charged with 11 counts, which carried a maximum penalty of 24 years in prison.
About two months ago, Aiken’s teammate Doc Bradley also agreed to testify against Washington in exchange for a guilty plea to disorderly conduct. If Bradley cooperates, he will receive probation after initially facing up to 27 years in prison.
The charges against Washington also carry a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison.
Other civil lawsuits in the case describe a “humbling” ritual in which defendants would pull down their victims’ pants and sometimes grab their genitals. Those descriptions are consistent with findings from the school’s Title IX investigation into the same player.
The indictment against the players details a 2022 incident in which the defendants are accused of “violating young players and student staff by holding them against their will.” The alleged conduct includes multiple incidents in which they were violently seized while forcibly restraining the victim’s genital area.”
Last year, the school paid $8 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two victims, former players Deuce Benjamin and Shak Odunewu, who spoke out about their abuse.
