Saturday, March 20, 1999Wilson gets 22 years in prison
Ex-Bengal sentenced for property theft worth $130,000
The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Former running back Stanley Wilson, whose NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals was plagued by drug problems, was sentenced to 22 years in prison Friday for stealing about $130,000 worth of property.
![[wilson]](http://bengals.enquirer.com/img/photos/1999/03/032099stanley_180x125.jpg)
Stanley Wilson wipes tears at his sentencing.
(AP photo)
| ZOOM |Wilson, 37, was convicted last month of stealing jewelry, camera equipment and other valuables from a Beverly Hills home Jan. 24, 1998.
Under the state's “three strikes” law, prosecutors were seeking a 25 years to life term because Wilson already had served time for burglarizing two homes in Long Beach.
Superior Court Judge Frank J. Johnson eliminated one of the “strikes” against Wilson, but sentenced him to the maximum on two others. In throwing out the third strike, Johnson cited Wilson's “mental problems.”
PREVIOUS STORIES
• Stanley Wilson's hard fall Jan. 31, 1999
• Heed the lessons of Stanley Wilson's sad tale Feb. 21, 1999
In addition to battling a cocaine habit, Wilson suffers from bipolar disorder, defense attorney H. Clay Jacke said. The affliction is characterized by alternating states of mania and depression. Jacke said Wilson is “a very good man with a very big (mental) problem.”
Wilson, who lives in nearby Westchester, sobbed during much of the hearing in West Los Angeles Superior Court, and as he began to make remarks to the court.
“When I left prison (the first time), I truly believed I wasn't going to do it anymore,” he said. “I believed it in my heart. I have always been against all these things I am charged with. It's so strange. The person sitting here is not the person who did these things.”
Later, Wilson told the judge: “All I'm asking is you do what you have the power to do.”
About a dozen people appeared to support Wilson, including his father, son and wife.
Also there was the Rev. William T. Ervin, who played football with Wilson at Banning High in nearby Carson.
“Wilson has good character,” Ervin said. “He comes from a family of good character. If he's given another chance at this point, he can run for the goal line.”
Wilson told authorities he burglarized the home because he needed money to feed his cocaine habit, deputy district attorney Suzanne Tragert said, adding that for about a year before the burglary, Wilson had done construction and landscaping work at the house.
Wilson, who attended Oklahoma before joining the Bengals, was suspended for the 1985 and 1987 NFL seasons for drug violations.
In his lowest NFL moment, he missed the Super Bowl in January 1989 after being found the night before in a stupor at a Miami motel.
The Bengals lost to the San Francisco 49ers 20-16.
Wilson was banned from the NFL later in 1989 for his repeated drug offenses.
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![[wilson]](http://bengals.enquirer.com/img/photos/1999/03/032099stanley_550x381.jpg)