Woman arrested for false accusation; St. John’s player expelled

The woman who accused three St. John’s basketball players of rape was arrested on charges of… The woman who accused three St. John’s basketball players of rape was arrested on charges of false accusation Thursday night., according to the Associated Press.

The woman, Sherri Ann Urbanek-Bach, 38, of Astoria, N.Y., reportedly told police that she was raped after meeting the players at Club Erotica in McKees Rocks and returning to a hotel room with them early Thursday morning.

St. John’s has expelled one basketball player, Grady Reynolds, and suspended from the school Elijah Ingram and Abraham Keita, whom St. John’s seeks to expel, pending hearings. Lamont Hamilton and Mohammed Diakite have also been suspended from the team pending further investigation. And Tyler Jones, a sixth player, faces undetermined disciplinary action by coaches, according to St. John’s statements.

Reynolds had already had a run-in with the law after he was arrested shortly before the 2002-2003 season on charges that he attacked a female student in her dorm.

None of the players were arrested by the police in connection with the rape allegations, according to the Pittsbugh Post-Gazette, and they returned to New York after meeting with authorities yesterday. The Post-Gazette also reported that the woman, a laid-off flight attendant, may have had consensual sex with the men and threatened them with rape charges if they did not pay her.

“We believe financial gain was a motive in this case,” Lt. Kevin Kraus told the Post-Gazette. “Evidence suggests there were demands for money. When the demands were not met, she filed her report.”

In a statement, St. John’s said that it would continue to investigate and cooperate with Pittsburgh authorities. The statement allowed for further disciplinary actions against players.