Deal in works for former Y. player

PROVO — All sex-related charges against a former Brigham Young University football player accused of participating in the gang-rape of a teenage girl last August likely will be dropped as part of a plea agreement.

While the deal between the Utah County Attorney's Office and defense attorneys for Karland Bennett will not be finalized until Monday, a source close to the case said it is "99 percent done."

If Bennett, one of four former BYU football players accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old at a Provo apartment, accepts the deal, he will be the second suspect in the case to do so. In December, William Turner Jr. agreed to provide information to prosecuting attorneys if they would try him as a juvenile.

Neither B.J. Mathis nor Ibrahim Rashada, the two other accused players, are close to a plea deal with prosecutors. They maintain their innocence.

A gag order issued by a judge prohibits government prosecutors and main defense attorneys from speaking publicly about the case.

But several sources confirmed the details of the plea agreement, and Bennett, who originally entered a not guilty plea, is scheduled to change his plea Monday in Provo's 4th District Court.

Bennett was charged with two felony counts of aggravated sexual assault, one felony count of dealing harmful material to a minor, one felony count of obstruction of justice and a misdemeanor count of supplying alcohol to a minor.

Under the proposed deal, Bennett will plead guilty to the charges of obstruction of justice and dealing harmful material to a minor.

All other charges will be dropped.

In exchange, Bennett has agreed to testify at the trial.

While Bennett may still face prison time, he is no longer looking at the severe penalties tied to first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault, a charge that carries a minimum mandatory sentence of five, 10 or 15 years or life.

Mathis is also under investigation for two unrelated sexual assault cases in Texas, according to a motion filed Thursday by Utah County Deputy Attorney Donna Kelly.

Kelly asked Judge Samuel McVey to allow her to use both cases as evidence in the upcoming trial. Mathis has not been charged or arrested in either case.

Mathis' attorney, Jere Reneer, the only attorney not under a gag order, said there is nothing to either of the allegations, and that Kelly's motion is merely an attempt to taint the jury pool.

The trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 24 and is expected to last a week. Mathis' mother, Gail Jones, said people from the Dallas area plan to attend the trial and support her son.

"This is a good kid. He's never been in trouble in his life," she said.

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E-mail: jhyde@desnews.com