WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio — The football star that called Fayette County home when he was not serving one of his multiple prison sentences has been released from his latest stint behind bars.
Art Schlichter, a 1978 graduate of Miami Trace, was let of prison in June after serving an 11 year sentence for bilking millions from victims in a sports ticketing racket; the 61-year-old was sentenced to the term in 2012 after being caught.
Schlichter was Ohio State’s starting quarterback from 1978 to 1981 and was a first-round pick in the 1982 NFL draft. It was in the eighties when he first got caught up with bookies, who threatened to expose him if he did not pay up. The football star went to the FBI and ended up getting probation, while the bookies went to jail. Later on, continued excessive gambling led to criminal charges and Schlichter was in prison from 1994 to 2006 for fraud and forgery.
Fast forward to 2011, and Schlichter was stealing millions from people in a sports ticketing fraud scheme, including the widow of the former CEO of Wendy’s hamburgers.
Due to get out prison last year, the stint was extended after officials caught him placing bets using email and phone privileges to talk with people on the outside just weeks before he was set to be released.
“I found that he was communicating via email and text, and other kind of methods that were proper under rules, but he was utilizing the privileges to have people make bets on his behalf on the outside,” said retired prosecutor Ron O’Brien during an interview with the Guardian on Wednesday. O’Brien was the chief prosecutor in Franklin County when Schlichter was sentenced a decade ago.
“I was not surprised, given his history going back 25 years.”
As a result of the prison gambling, Schlichter’s term was extended another year, but he was granted parole this June, less than a year later. Now under the watch of the Adult Parole Authority, the former NFL star will have to answer to the state for the next five years. O’Brien said he hopes parole officers keep a close eye on Schlichter so he doesn’t victimize again.
“I would hope, in order to protect the public, that they will require him to serve the full five years. That, again, is something that can be terminated early, which is something he has sought every time he has faced sanctions. It’s one thing to be on parole, but it’s another thing to be supervised. He needs the supervision to protect the public.”
