Report: Former Penn State Basketball Player Detained on Suspicion of Terrorism

Penn State’s DJ Newbill, left, drives against Akron’s Alex Abreu during a NCAA college basketball game in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo)

A former Penn State basketball player was reportedly detained on suspicion of terrorism as he tried to join his new team in France, his European agent says.

D.J. Newbill was stopped by German authorities, Newbill’s agent, Francois Lamy, said in a Facebook post. (The post has been translated from French.) The incident was first reported by the Black Cager blog.

“An officer of the German immigration doubted his statement that he was in Europe to play basketball,” Lamy wrote. “He also doubted that France was the country of final destination. Newbill was interrogated for hours. German immigration officials were convinced he had a terrorist motive.”

Lamy said there were questions about Newbill’s visa. Typically, Lamy said, American players regularize their visa status once they’ve arrived in-country and joined their team.

More details were not immediately available.

Newbill had recently written an open letter to the Penn State alumni community, thanking the university for his time there.