In 500-plus pages of documents released Wednesday, Nicole Biancofiore told investigators from the Georgia Bureau of Investigations that her friend, a student at Georgia College & State University, "was dragged by a bodyguard to the back room in Capital [City, a local nightclub]. She was extremely intoxicated and not aware of what was happening."
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"He had sex w/me and meanwhile his bodyguards told my friends they couldn't pass them to get to me," the accuser wrote in her statement, which was reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The woman also told him "no, this is not OK," according to the statement.
Roethlisberger was not charged in the incident, which occurred in the early morning hours of March 5 in Milledgeville, a central Georgia college town about 30 miles from where Roethlisberger owns a lake home.
Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright said Monday that after exhaustive interviews and inconclusive medical exams, the student's accusations could not be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. He also revealed the young accuser no longer wanted him to prosecute.
Thursday, Steelers president Art Rooney II says the team is ready to discipline Ben Roethlisberger but the punishment will be coordinated with the NFL and won't pre-empt any league action. Rooney expects NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to spend several weeks reviewing the recent accusations. Rooney probably won't decide on any action until after next week's three-day draft.
Rooney said the Steelers' image and Roethlisberger's have been damaged because of the incident.
"I have made it clear to Ben that his conduct in this incident did not live up to our standards," Rooney said. "We have made it very clear to Ben that there will be consequence for his actions, and Ben has indicated to us he is willing to accept those consequences."
In the Milledgeville incident, Roethlisberger was out drinking with friends to celebrate his 28th birthday and bumped into the student and her sorority sisters throughout the night. They linked up at Capital City, where he invited them to a VIP section and bought them a round of shots.
Later, the accuser said Roethlisberger had sex with her in a bathroom adjacent to the VIP room.
The initial police report said that "One of the suspect's bodyguards escorted her to a back room/hallway area where the suspect was. Once there, she stated, the suspect asked her for sex. At this time it is unclear to what happened after this point due to the complainant's recollection being foggy from her intoxication level. However, she did write a statement of what she thought happened."
Scott Van Pelt
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Another friend of the accuser, Aliesha Scholten, told investigators that she tried to open a locked door, but "she was taken away by a bodyguard of Ben's."
A third friend, Ann Marie Lubatti, told police, that she "approached the other security guard and told him that she [the accuser] was in no shape to be back there with Ben Roethlisberger. He couldn't look me in the eye, and told me he didn't know what was going on. My friend went to open the door, and it was locked."
In part, the woman's statement read: "I met Ben Rotheseburgehergh [sic] at Velvet [Elvis, a local bar]. He went to the Brick because he was [unreadable] to not be bombarded by fans. He then met us at the Brick and called me 'a tease.' Eventually we saw him at the Capital City & saw him there."
Roethlisberger met Tuesday with Goodell, who is expected to decide on punishment for the two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback.
The New York Times reported Thursday that the NFL sent a memo addressed to team owners, executives and head coaches, saying in part: "Unfortunately, in recent weeks there have been several negative incidents. These incidents include subjects that we have previously identified as particularly troublesome, such as alcohol-related offenses, allegations of violence against women, and weapons offenses."
It added: "The Policy makes clear that NFL and club personnel must do more than simply avoid criminal behavior," the memo said. "We must conduct ourselves in a way that 'is responsible, that promotes the values upon which the league is based, and is lawful."
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