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PITTSBURGH -- A woman arraigned Friday on charges that she falsely accused several St. John's basketball players of rape told police she had agreed to have sex with the men for $1,000, according to an arrest affidavit.
After having sex, the players refused to pay her so she called police and told them she was raped, police said.
Sherri Ann Urbanek-Bach, 38, of New York, was arraigned on charges of prostitution, attempted extortion and filing fictitious reports. Urbanek-Bach, who did not have an attorney at the brief hearing, was freed Friday after posting $20,000 bond.
Urbanek-Bach met the players at a strip club hours after the team lost a game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, and then went back to a hotel, police said.
Doubts about Urbanek-Bach's story were raised after one of the players gave investigators his cell phone, which he had used to videotape some of the encounter, police said.
While no criminal charges were filed against the players, St. John's disciplined the men "for violation of team rules and behavior inconsistent with St. John's mission and values."
Grady Reynolds, a senior, was expelled from the Roman Catholic school; leading scorer Elijah Ingram, a sophomore, and senior Abraham Keita were permanently suspended from the team and both could be expelled.
Freshman Lamont Hamilton and senior Mohamed Diakite were suspended and freshman Tyler Jones faces discipline that has not been determined, said school spokesman Dominic Scianna.
The players went to the club in McKeesport after St. John's lost to Pittsburgh 71-51. Urbanek-Bach told police she met the players at 2:30 a.m. at the strip club.
The players were not made available for comment by the school.
After having sex, the players refused to pay her so she called police and told them she was raped, police said.
Sherri Ann Urbanek-Bach, 38, of New York, was arraigned on charges of prostitution, attempted extortion and filing fictitious reports. Urbanek-Bach, who did not have an attorney at the brief hearing, was freed Friday after posting $20,000 bond.
Urbanek-Bach met the players at a strip club hours after the team lost a game against Pittsburgh on Wednesday night, and then went back to a hotel, police said.
Doubts about Urbanek-Bach's story were raised after one of the players gave investigators his cell phone, which he had used to videotape some of the encounter, police said.
While no criminal charges were filed against the players, St. John's disciplined the men "for violation of team rules and behavior inconsistent with St. John's mission and values."
Grady Reynolds, a senior, was expelled from the Roman Catholic school; leading scorer Elijah Ingram, a sophomore, and senior Abraham Keita were permanently suspended from the team and both could be expelled.
Freshman Lamont Hamilton and senior Mohamed Diakite were suspended and freshman Tyler Jones faces discipline that has not been determined, said school spokesman Dominic Scianna.
The players went to the club in McKeesport after St. John's lost to Pittsburgh 71-51. Urbanek-Bach told police she met the players at 2:30 a.m. at the strip club.
The players were not made available for comment by the school.
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