Father of former UCLA basketball star placed on home detention
Ronald J. Holmes, father of former UCLA basketball star Shabazz Muhammad, was placed on home detention Friday after he was indicted on charges of federal bank fraud and conspiracy.
Holmes, 51, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to the fraud charges in the indictment.
Holmes, who was in custody until the Friday hearing, was dressed in blue prison garb and remained expressionless as prosecutors recited a list of prior incidents and reasons that Holmes should be placed on house arrest and restricted from using computers or other means for conducting financial transactions.
The prior incidents included a conviction for mortgage fraud in 2000, using different aliases and lying about his son Shabazz’s age to further his basketball career.
Shabazz, 20, played one year at UCLA before declaring for the NBA draft.
U.S. Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr. ruled that Holmes would be put under house detention with a GPS electronic monitoring device, and that he would be allowed to leave his residence for legal employment, religious reasons and meetings with his lawyers.
Other terms of his release included getting and maintaining lawful employment, surrendering his passport to the court, staying in Clark County, not pursuing loans or lines of credit and not using computers or electronic devices for financial transactions.
Holmes does not currently have steady employment, though he coaches members of the Bishop Gorman High School basketball team. He is also involved in Shabazz’s basketball training and his daughter’s tennis training.
His current source of income is a $350,000 loan that he took out against his daughter’s potential tennis earnings, his defense stated in court. The opposing counsel said that in a March interview with the FBI, Holmes stated the loan was taken out against his son’s basketball future.
Present at the hearing was Holmes’ long-time girlfriend and mother of Shabazz, Faye Muhammad. Muhammad brought Holmes’ passport to relinquish to the court, but she declined to comment on Holmes’ indictment.
Holmes’ trial is set for August 6.
Contact Rochel Leah Goldblatt at rgoldblatt@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.
