Terence “Bud” Crawford has absorbed countless punches during his meteoric rise from the streets of north Omaha to world champion boxer, though nothing quite like the haymaker an Omaha judge landed Thursday.
The 29-year-old fighter who’s been the source of much pride in his hometown was sentenced to 90 days in jail in connection with a disturbance at a north Omaha body shop.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy cuffed Crawford’s hands behind his back and took him away immediately after the morning sentencing. However, by the end of the day, his attorney had posted $10,000 bail to secure his release pending appeal.
While shocked and disappointed by the jail sentence, friends and others who know Crawford say they expect the champ to handle this setback just as he has any time he’s been staggered in the ring: shake it off, clear his eyes and keep moving forward. They also made it clear they’re still very much in his corner.
“This is one incident that does not define your whole life or define you as a person,” said Willy Theisen, the Omaha restaurateur who has befriended Crawford and supported the boxer’s work with youth in north Omaha. “This one goes in the mistake column. We all make mistakes. We hope we all learn from our mistakes.”
“It’s hard to hear about today and not feel heartbroken for him that this is what people are going to think about him,” said Jamie Nollette, a former teacher of Crawford’s who has traveled with him to Africa on relief missions. “I wish the judge and all of Omaha knew him the way I know him.”
She didn’t want to go into the details, but she attributed Crawford’s legal predicament to “a situation that got out of hand” and some poor advice the boxer took.
The jail sentence handed down Thursday did come as a surprise to many.
Crawford had no previous criminal record beyond traffic citations. He obviously has gained a prominent place in his community. And prosecutors did not recommend jail time, only probation.
But Judge Marcena Hendrix, who in September had convicted Crawford of misdemeanor property damage and disorderly conduct in the body shop incident, obviously was troubled by some things she saw during the trial, presentence investigation or both.
“You’ve continued to act as if you are above the law, and you are not,” the judge told Crawford on Thursday.
Earlier, Makayla Maclin, an assistant Omaha city prosecutor, had noted in court that Crawford had been found not to be truthful during the presentence investigation.
City Prosecutor Matt Kuhse said that while some may have been surprised by the sentence, he was not.
“When judges sit through trials of any sort, they hear and learn a lot more about a case than if it was just a plea,” he said. “There were a lot of things the judge was able to see and observe, and those got factored into her decision, in addition to the presentence investigation.”
Kuhse said he considered the sentence fair based on all the circumstances, adding that Crawford was treated no differently “than any defendant in the courthouse today.”
“It shows that someone’s celebrity status isn’t taken into consideration,” he said.
Crawford’s attorney, Matthew Kahler, however, saw no equity in the sentence. And he said the case is far from over.
“We’re appealing all of it — the verdict, the sentencing, everything,” he said. “I have been doing this a long time, and I was surprised by the outcome. I think everyone was surprised.”
The sentence Thursday came just five days after Crawford had scored the latest victory in a career that has brought him international fame and hometown celebrity.
After a successful amateur career in Omaha in which he finished as a national Golden Gloves runner-up, Crawford turned pro in 2008. He proceeded to run off a long string of victories that has taken him to the top of his sport.
It culminated in Glasgow, Scotland, in March 2014 when he claimed the World Boxing Organization lightweight championship. A year later, the 140-pounder moved up a weight class and claimed the WBO junior welterweight title.
This summer in Las Vegas, he unified the WBO and World Boxing Council titles at 140 pounds. Now at 30-0 in his career, he’s one of few unified champions in the sport and is considered one of the top 10 fighters in the world regardless of weight class.
His championship career has included four title fights in his hometown that have drawn big and supportive crowds of 11,000 or more. He’s shown his own Omaha pride in the ring, too, wearing “OMAHA” in big letters on his boxing trunks.
Crawford has also earned praise for his work outside the ring.
Giving back to the community in which he grew up, he’s raised money to convert a warehouse in north Omaha into the nonprofit B&B Boxing Academy. The boxing club, with the slogan “Give Youth a Fighting Chance,” has attracted the financial support of Theisen and others.
In 2014 and 2015, Crawford asked to join Nollette, his former fourth-grade teacher, on relief trips to Africa. On one of the trips, Crawford left Africa with only the clothes on his back, having given away all the other clothing he’d packed.
But in April came the out-of-the-ring slip-up that Nollette and others say was out of character for Crawford.
Crawford went to Extreme Custom Fleet & Auto at 56th Street and Sorensen Parkway on April 14 intent on reclaiming a car.
The shop had performed a $2,500 paint job and other work on a 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Crawford planned to give to a nephew.
Crawford put up half that amount as a down payment but later refused to pay the rest. He complained about the quality of the work and the six months the vehicle had spent in owner Michael Nelson’s garage.
Crawford and a few friends came to the shop and told Nelson they were taking the car.
Nelson testified at Crawford’s trial in September that he had placed the Monte Carlo on a hydraulic lift and left a 600-pound engine underneath the lift to discourage Crawford from taking the car.
Crawford entered the shop, Nelson said, and was able to lower the car to the floor after pushing the heavy engine out of the way by himself. Nelson said Crawford did $3,300 in damage to the hydraulic lift, and fluid spilled onto the shop floor.
Nelson said that he felt intimidated by the champ’s presence but that Crawford never physically threatened him. Nelson captured the 28-minute incident on a surveillance video that was played at trial.
Hendrix convicted Crawford on two of three misdemeanors — property damage and disorderly conduct — and dismissed a trespassing charge. He faced a maximum of a $500 fine and up to six months in jail on each charge.
Then on Thursday Crawford appeared for sentencing, dressed in a gray sweatsuit and old-school Michael Jordan Nike high-tops.
In handing down the jail sentence, Hendrix said Crawford was not eligible for house arrest. Under sentencing guidelines, his 90-day sentence means he would serve 53 days.
Hendrix also ordered Crawford to serve two years’ probation and perform 120 hours of community service. Additionally, he must pay $6,000 in restitution to the body shop owner and undergo random drug and alcohol tests.
Steven Nelson, a 28-year-old boxer who has known Crawford for two decades, said he did not understand the sentence in what seemed to him to be more a civil matter than anything criminal. “No one was hurt physically,” he said. “It was taken way out of proportion.”
The key now, those who know Crawford say, is how he’s going to deal with the setback. Most aren’t expecting Thursday’s outcome to deter him in boxing or in life.
“Terence didn’t get where he is today by folding and giving up,” Nollette said. “He’ll continue to be a great boxer. I know he will continue to do what he’s passionate about, which includes helping those young people in north Omaha as well.”
Nelson agreed.
“I think he will respond just like in the ring,” he said. “He adjusts to everything that’s coming at him. He’s a warrior. He’s a strong person. He’s going to knock it out, just like any of his opponents.”
Article courtesy of Omaha World-Herald
The 29-year-old fighter who’s been the source of much pride in his hometown was sentenced to 90 days in jail in connection with a disturbance at a north Omaha body shop.
A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy cuffed Crawford’s hands behind his back and took him away immediately after the morning sentencing. However, by the end of the day, his attorney had posted $10,000 bail to secure his release pending appeal.
While shocked and disappointed by the jail sentence, friends and others who know Crawford say they expect the champ to handle this setback just as he has any time he’s been staggered in the ring: shake it off, clear his eyes and keep moving forward. They also made it clear they’re still very much in his corner.
“This is one incident that does not define your whole life or define you as a person,” said Willy Theisen, the Omaha restaurateur who has befriended Crawford and supported the boxer’s work with youth in north Omaha. “This one goes in the mistake column. We all make mistakes. We hope we all learn from our mistakes.”
“It’s hard to hear about today and not feel heartbroken for him that this is what people are going to think about him,” said Jamie Nollette, a former teacher of Crawford’s who has traveled with him to Africa on relief missions. “I wish the judge and all of Omaha knew him the way I know him.”
She didn’t want to go into the details, but she attributed Crawford’s legal predicament to “a situation that got out of hand” and some poor advice the boxer took.
The jail sentence handed down Thursday did come as a surprise to many.
Crawford had no previous criminal record beyond traffic citations. He obviously has gained a prominent place in his community. And prosecutors did not recommend jail time, only probation.
But Judge Marcena Hendrix, who in September had convicted Crawford of misdemeanor property damage and disorderly conduct in the body shop incident, obviously was troubled by some things she saw during the trial, presentence investigation or both.
“You’ve continued to act as if you are above the law, and you are not,” the judge told Crawford on Thursday.
Earlier, Makayla Maclin, an assistant Omaha city prosecutor, had noted in court that Crawford had been found not to be truthful during the presentence investigation.
City Prosecutor Matt Kuhse said that while some may have been surprised by the sentence, he was not.
“When judges sit through trials of any sort, they hear and learn a lot more about a case than if it was just a plea,” he said. “There were a lot of things the judge was able to see and observe, and those got factored into her decision, in addition to the presentence investigation.”
Kuhse said he considered the sentence fair based on all the circumstances, adding that Crawford was treated no differently “than any defendant in the courthouse today.”
“It shows that someone’s celebrity status isn’t taken into consideration,” he said.
Crawford’s attorney, Matthew Kahler, however, saw no equity in the sentence. And he said the case is far from over.
“We’re appealing all of it — the verdict, the sentencing, everything,” he said. “I have been doing this a long time, and I was surprised by the outcome. I think everyone was surprised.”
The sentence Thursday came just five days after Crawford had scored the latest victory in a career that has brought him international fame and hometown celebrity.
After a successful amateur career in Omaha in which he finished as a national Golden Gloves runner-up, Crawford turned pro in 2008. He proceeded to run off a long string of victories that has taken him to the top of his sport.
It culminated in Glasgow, Scotland, in March 2014 when he claimed the World Boxing Organization lightweight championship. A year later, the 140-pounder moved up a weight class and claimed the WBO junior welterweight title.
This summer in Las Vegas, he unified the WBO and World Boxing Council titles at 140 pounds. Now at 30-0 in his career, he’s one of few unified champions in the sport and is considered one of the top 10 fighters in the world regardless of weight class.
His championship career has included four title fights in his hometown that have drawn big and supportive crowds of 11,000 or more. He’s shown his own Omaha pride in the ring, too, wearing “OMAHA” in big letters on his boxing trunks.
Crawford has also earned praise for his work outside the ring.
Giving back to the community in which he grew up, he’s raised money to convert a warehouse in north Omaha into the nonprofit B&B Boxing Academy. The boxing club, with the slogan “Give Youth a Fighting Chance,” has attracted the financial support of Theisen and others.
In 2014 and 2015, Crawford asked to join Nollette, his former fourth-grade teacher, on relief trips to Africa. On one of the trips, Crawford left Africa with only the clothes on his back, having given away all the other clothing he’d packed.
But in April came the out-of-the-ring slip-up that Nollette and others say was out of character for Crawford.
Crawford went to Extreme Custom Fleet & Auto at 56th Street and Sorensen Parkway on April 14 intent on reclaiming a car.
The shop had performed a $2,500 paint job and other work on a 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Crawford planned to give to a nephew.
Crawford put up half that amount as a down payment but later refused to pay the rest. He complained about the quality of the work and the six months the vehicle had spent in owner Michael Nelson’s garage.
Crawford and a few friends came to the shop and told Nelson they were taking the car.
Nelson testified at Crawford’s trial in September that he had placed the Monte Carlo on a hydraulic lift and left a 600-pound engine underneath the lift to discourage Crawford from taking the car.
Crawford entered the shop, Nelson said, and was able to lower the car to the floor after pushing the heavy engine out of the way by himself. Nelson said Crawford did $3,300 in damage to the hydraulic lift, and fluid spilled onto the shop floor.
Nelson said that he felt intimidated by the champ’s presence but that Crawford never physically threatened him. Nelson captured the 28-minute incident on a surveillance video that was played at trial.
Hendrix convicted Crawford on two of three misdemeanors — property damage and disorderly conduct — and dismissed a trespassing charge. He faced a maximum of a $500 fine and up to six months in jail on each charge.
Then on Thursday Crawford appeared for sentencing, dressed in a gray sweatsuit and old-school Michael Jordan Nike high-tops.
In handing down the jail sentence, Hendrix said Crawford was not eligible for house arrest. Under sentencing guidelines, his 90-day sentence means he would serve 53 days.
Hendrix also ordered Crawford to serve two years’ probation and perform 120 hours of community service. Additionally, he must pay $6,000 in restitution to the body shop owner and undergo random drug and alcohol tests.
Steven Nelson, a 28-year-old boxer who has known Crawford for two decades, said he did not understand the sentence in what seemed to him to be more a civil matter than anything criminal. “No one was hurt physically,” he said. “It was taken way out of proportion.”
The key now, those who know Crawford say, is how he’s going to deal with the setback. Most aren’t expecting Thursday’s outcome to deter him in boxing or in life.
“Terence didn’t get where he is today by folding and giving up,” Nollette said. “He’ll continue to be a great boxer. I know he will continue to do what he’s passionate about, which includes helping those young people in north Omaha as well.”
Nelson agreed.
“I think he will respond just like in the ring,” he said. “He adjusts to everything that’s coming at him. He’s a warrior. He’s a strong person. He’s going to knock it out, just like any of his opponents.”
Article courtesy of Omaha World-Herald
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