Ricardo Lockette, Former NFL Player, Arrested on Charges of Gun Possession and Vehicle Theft

A former NFL player, Ricardo Lockette, found himself in legal trouble on April 10 in Georgia. The charges against him included possession of a stolen vehicle, along with possessing a firearm, among others.

As reported by WSB-TV, Lockette was taken into custody in Fulton County. Ricardo Lockette faces charges related to possessing a firearm during certain felonies, having a vehicle with an altered Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), and receiving stolen property.

According to court documents, 37-year-old Ricardo Lockette was apprehended after Georgia State Patrol officers stationed near a Chipotle restaurant at Camp Creek Marketplace observed him driving a suspicious 2021 Ram 1500 TRX.

Following him to a nearby Target, officers conducted a traffic stop where they discovered the vehicle was stolen.

Upon further investigation, it was found that the VIN on the truck was fraudulent, with the vehicle having been reported stolen from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the previous year.

In addition to the stolen vehicle, Lockette was found in possession of a Glock 43 9mm pistol.

When confronted by officers, Ricardo Lockette claimed to have purchased the truck during the pandemic in 2020, allegedly from a dealership in Columbus, GA. However, he couldn’t provide specific details regarding the purchase.

“He (told us) he found the vehicle on Facebook Market but couldn’t provide a date,” a responding officer wrote in the affidavit.

“He stated that he went to Columbus, GA, to purchase the vehicle from a buy here, pay here dealership. Again, he couldn’t provide a date of purchase or how much he paid.

He stated that he couldn’t remember if he paid cash or used the bank to purchase it. He stated that the vehicle was paid off at the time of purchase.”

Further suspicion arose when officers discovered a temporary tag on the vehicle issued after the reported theft date.
Lockette, a Georgia native, had a successful career in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014.

He retired in 2016 due to a career-ending neck injury suffered in 2015.