The charges that have been brought against Karl Roberson are quite severe. After reportedly breaking into a home in New Jersey and making off with $200,000 worth of “exotic jewellery and valuables,” the former light heavyweight slugger for the UFC was apprehended and charged with burglary, theft, criminal mischief, possession of a controlled dangerous narcotic, as well as many weapons offenses. He was also charged with multiple counts of illegal possession of firearms. Dathan Thompson, an accomplice, was also taken into custody and is now facing many charges.
On Saturday, the Howell Township Police Department released a statement saying that two people had been arrested in connection with a break-in that had occurred on December 26, 2022.
“Yes, it would be the same person, Mr. Roberson. I’m familiar with his UFC career,” Detective Ryan Jackson told MMA Fighting. “It is definitely the UFC fighter, I’m well aware of that. I’m aware that he’s been released. He was lodged at our county jail for two to three weeks, I’m not sure the timeframe, since then he has been released.”
Roberson and Thompson are accused of breaking into a home in Howell, New Jersey. The break-in was caught on a home security surveillance camera, and the two suspects were identified with the help of “advance training in technical applications and analysis of cellular data,” as the report defines it. The charges may bring a sentence of up to ten years in jail if they are found guilty.
Roberson was let go in July of last year following his defeat at the hands of Kennedy Nzechukwu, which was his fourth consecutive loss. Roberson participated in the middleweight and light heavyweight classes during his career. Since 2017, when he won a contract to fight in the UFC by knocking out Ryan Spann on Dana White’s Contender Series, he had been a member of the promotion.