UPDATED: Hokies DE Dadi Nicolas suspended indefinitely after arrest on larceny charge
Correction (June 28, 2012: 12:54 p.m.): Dadi Nicolas was charged with larceny as a principal in the second degree. There is no “second degree grand larceny,” as was reported in previous versions. The story has been updated. | Our corrections policy
Virginia Tech defensive end Dadi Nicolas has been suspended from the team indefinitely following his arrest last week on a felony larceny charge in an incident involving a stolen bike.
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Nicolas, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Delray, Fla., was arrested June 22 after police said he was involved in stealing another student’s silver Trek Bike outside Dietrick Hall around 5 p.m. on May 29. He has an arraignment hearing July 13.
Larceny is wrongful acquisition of the personal property of another person. Nicolas was charged as a principal in the second degree, defined as a person who assists and is present but does not actually participate in the crime.
Virginia Tech Deputy Chief of Police Kevin L. Foust would not say whether other arrests would be made in the case, saying it was an ongoing investigation.
The charge in this case is grand larceny under Virginia law, because the item in question exceeded $200. Foust said the bike was estimated to be worth $300.
Grand larceny is punishable by one to 20 years in prison or, at the judge’s or jury’s discretion, a jail sentence of not more than 12 months and/or a fine not to exceed $2,500.
A school spokesman confirmed that Nicolas was suspended immediately in accordance to University Policy 1035, which states that a student-athlete arrested and charged with a felony is automatically suspended until the charges are dropped or otherwise resolved.
Athletic director Jim Weaver would make any decision about reinstatement. If convicted of a felony, Nicolas would be permanently dismissed from the team.
The 6-foot-2, 223-pound Nicolas was a promising player competing for playing time on a deep defensive line. The Atlantic High product was known as Wedley Estime when he signed with the Hokies in 2011.
A raw talent, he played only one year of high school football, then redshirted his first year at Virginia Tech. He was in the running for most improved player this spring but was still listed as a third-string stud end on the depth chart, behind J.R. Collins and Tyrel Wilson.
“Physically I think he could have played last year. Mentally and football instincts, the game was somewhat abstract to him,” defensive line coach Charley Wiles said in March.
“But Dadi’s got arms that are long, wrists that are huge, elbows that are big, has a lot of growth potential. High cut kid, but he’s got a body that if he can continue to eat and get bigger, I think he can really end up being an explosive player for us. It’s just the game, to play within the defense.”
June 28, 2012 - 10:41 AM
Well, I’m just shocked!
When will these guys ever learn!!??!?!? I know its not a Major Crime but they ALL know the Rules but for whatever reason choose not to obey..I hope he remains suspended..Thats why I never get excited over big time recruits etc..
Is anyone really surprised? Pretty much par for the course for the hokies
Andy, it seems that some think Tech is more inclined to recruit players that end up getting into some form of trouble. Do you have any stats that prove or disprove this?
Bryan, you are an idiot. No school has a lock on stupid players in any sport or the regular student body. . THese are individual decisons by the person making the mistake. No body goes out to recruit felons, if they did they would scout the jails and prisons.
Grow up
Good for VT. That’s the appropriate action. If only UVA would do the same…but, then they probably wouldn’t have enough players to have a team.
No school is immune to stuff like this. It’s been that way at all three of my professional stops: Virginia, Auburn and Virginia Tech.
Warning: sarcasm in this post.
I think this is just the latest example of how well Virginia Tech would fit in at the SEC.
@SPigninelli I think it so ironic that you tell me to ‘grow up’ all while beginning your post by insulting me. Good stuff.
Lucky enough to spend most of my winters in Florida. When you see a player from Florida come to Tech or UVA beware. If he is good enough to play in the state of Florida please explain why he would come to the state of Virgina??????????????????????????
WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To Boyd Walker:
Hmmm…David Clowney, Brandon Flowers, Luther Maddy all came from that school…the first two were NFL draft picks, and Maddy will be in a year or two…and they didn’t get in trouble. PLEASE don’t tell me that you meant that UF and Fla St wouldn’t recruit troublemakers…mmmmmKKKKKK.
His friend who took the bike needs to step up and say Dadi had nothing to do with this. He was a bystander so hopefully he gets the charges dropped. Another future pro we lost most likely DAMN IT!
To: Rich
Poor use of words on my part. SORRY – There lis exceptions I understand but if you are heavily recruited by Florida State, Florida or Miama or USF please are you going to come to Virginia and play> NO – Yes there is probably no teams in the nation that has more felonies than Miamis and Florida State. I spend a lot of time in Lakeland and would love to see some of their athletics come to Virginia and Pensacola also.
All the bad decisions by our young people need Obama Care. Go hokies!!!
“…but if you are heavily recruited by Florida State, Florida or Miama or USF please are you going to come to Virginia and play> NO…”
haha… the only one of those schools that might help your argument there is Florida, since they are an SEC school. I don’t think that it’s such a stretch for an athlete to choose VT over Miami, FSU, Florida, or USF. Any of those schools would be a nice choice, but to say that nobody in their right mind would choose a Virginia school over a Florida school…? naah.
38-0 Bryan
It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last time. Any bet’s as to who’s next?
What these kids do is a reflection of our society.It happens everywhere.
So, he basically was a “lookout” guy for another college kid who stole a bike?…and that’s a felony? SMH…man what a way to lose a chance at a college education and possible NFL career.
Quit listening to shrinks and lawyers who always want to put the blame for their clients actions on someone else. Think before you act and if you still screw up – man up, take responsibility and be sorry that you did it not that you got caught.
How stupid do you have to be to think it’s acceptable to steal someone’s bike? ABout as stupid as you have to be to agree to pose as a pizza boy and rob somebody with a fake gun.
In both cases, the stupid people deserve to lose their scholarship and be kicked out of college. Don’t bother with the ‘we’ve all done…’ crap. We’ve not all decided to rob someone, nor decided to steal their transportation. Most of us are not that stupid. Unfortunately, we see two cases where somebody was that stupid.
This only reflects on VT in a marginal sense, as it happens at a lot of places. As long as Beamer deals with it properly, it’s not a big deal. The problem is with enabling scholarship players. Let’s hope that is not the case here, or in the Journell case.
People are right that no school is immune to stuff like this but it seems to happen more at VT, just this morning there was a attempted abduction on VT’s campus. VT has become the crime capitol of US Univerity’s. In the past few weeks a number of hokie posters have stated that the one thing we don’t need are more lawyers, I find this downright comical since they are always in need of one!
Robert, at least, the BOV at Virginia Tech did not meet in secret at 3 am to fire the president like your beloved Wah-wah Hoos did. And it took a threat from the governor to have them reinstate the fired president.
Hey Trevor, at least? You talk like that’s a crime, what they did is not a crime and is not as bad. So I don’t understand your use of at least? Man you’re a trip. P.S. It took the President of VT to kick Marcus Vick out of school!
“People are right that no school is immune to stuff like this but it seems to happen more at VT, just this morning there was a attempted abduction on VT’s campus. VT has become the crime capitol of US Univerity’s. In the past few weeks a number of hokie posters have stated that the one thing we don’t need are more lawyers, I find this downright comical since they are always in need of one!”
Robert, your posts are always such a waste of space. Were the two guys Hokies who tried to abduct the girl? Didn’t think so… but as usual, poor effort by you, Robert.
Keep trying [unsuccessfully] to make VT look bad. You’re only showing your own foolishness and undying inferiority complex. Remember, YOU, ROBERT, are the one choosing to come to a HOKIE message board and spew your pathetic gibberish. YOU are the one searching for a place to troll.
Robert, did you go to UVA? Your grammar is pitiful. If you’re in need of some cash, and did go to UVA, I’d blackmail the school. Tell them you’re going to keep presenting yourself as a UVA grad who can’t spell, capitalizes the wrong words, etc., unless they pay you a sizeable sum. My guess is that you did not go to UVA, but maybe I’m holding them in too high regard.
Robert: I guess Tech guys only need lawyers to represent them for doing stupid stuff. Seems like UVA guys need lawyers to defend them in murder cases. Even Tech students get murdered in C’ville. Now, tell where is the crime capitol of US universities???
To all the people who have commented on this situation, you really should not make ignorant comments unless you know exactly what happened or you were there. Dadi took a bike that had belonged to a student last year and was abandoned. The former owner left the bike unchained and on campus during the summer because they did not want it anymore and did not intend to use it again. There are a lot of students at Tech who have a lot of wealth in their families so they can afford to just leave there bikes and buy new ones, this happens yearly at Tech. The VT Police then either leave the bikes as they are or unchain them to use these bikes as “bait bikes” until the next year starts. Dadi was caught in a situation where he did not realize using this bike was a crime or even a bad thing, if so, knowing Dadi personally, he wouldn’t have used the bike. Dadi needs peoples support now more than negative comments. He has taken full responsibility for his actions and wants to make things right again. Coming from a rough past and difficult home situation Dadi needs supporters and not critics, because the last thing he would try to do is intentionally commit a crime that would lose him his scholarship for an education and probable career in football.