Former four-division world titleholder Adrien Broner avoided jail time on Monday when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and was given probation in a case in which a woman accused him of forcibly kissing her at a nightclub in June.
Broner, 29, was supposed to go to trial on Monday on felony charges of gross sexual imposition and abduction, but he instead pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of assault and unlawful restraint. Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court Judge Sherrie Miday sentenced Broner to six months in jail but suspended the sentence and placed the boxer on two years of probation, which he will serve in Broward County, Florida, where he lives and trains — as long as county officials there agree to supervise his probation.
The judge also fined Broner $1,000 and ordered him to reimburse the victim more than $4,200 in medical bills. Cleveland.com first reported the news, which was confirmed by the Cuyahoga County Court’s online records.
“While confident in a successful outcome at trial, Mr. Broner opted to accept the significantly reduced misdemeanor plea so that he could immediately return to focus on his professional career free from further distraction,” Ian Friedman, Broner’s attorney, said in a statement, according to Cleveland.com.
According to online court records, Broner was indicted in the case on Oct. 29, and he has been free on $100,000 bond since he was arraigned on Nov. 13.
According to the women’s complaint, she told Cleveland police that she went to a downtown Cleveland nightclub with a friend following Game 4 of the 2018 NBA Finals, when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the championship.
While she was at the nightclub, according to the police report, Broner came over to the woman “out of nowhere,” laid on her and began to forcibly kiss her on the mouth and neck. The woman’s friend tried to pull him off of her but was unable to get him to move.
Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs), who has had numerous legal issues from a variety of cases, had this one going on while he was preparing to challenge secondary welterweight world titlist Manny Pacquiao in the main event of a Showtime PPV card on Jan. 19 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao toyed with Broner in a one-sided decision victory. Broner, who dropped to 0-2-1 in his past three fights, does not have another bout scheduled.