A former Ohio State University football defensive back was hit with a 23-count indictment Thursday charging him with pulling off nine bank robberies, prosecutors said.
Marcus Williamson, 25, who suited up for the Buckeyes from 2017 through 2021, was charged by a Franklin County grand jury with carrying out the string of heists between March 7 and April 24, according to a report by the Columbus Dispatch on Thursday.
Williamson was picked off by cops after the last alleged heist at First Merchants Bank in North Columbus.
Police had suspected the former Ohio State standout in the earlier robberies and got a court warrant to put a tracking device on his vehicle — and tracked him to the bank.
Williamson used the same MO for each of the robberies, passing a note to the tellers and demanding $20, $50 and $100 bills while suggesting he was armed with a gun, the Dispatch said.
He faces 17 counts of robbery, six counts of felony theft and one of misdemeanor theft and remains at the Franklin County Jail on a $50,000 bond, the outlet said.
According to the Buckeyes’ football home page, the 5-foot-10 defensive end is from Westerville, Ohio, and is listed as a graduate student at the school.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history in December 2020 and played five seasons with the gridiron squad, including a “super senior” final season in 2021 due to the pandemic shutdown.
Williams lined up for 47 games in all and was part of four consecutive Big Ten championship teams, leaving the team with 68 career tackles, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
According to the school, he was a key special teams member.
Officials at Ohio State University and the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Post.
