DAVENPORT, FL — Five teenagers from the Washington, D.C. area and their AAU basketball coach were arrested after the Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigated a retail theft at the 7-Eleven located at 3141 Ronald Reagan Parkway in Davenport.
According to investigators, the theft occurred at approximately 4:10 a.m. on July 23, 2026, while the group was in Polk County to participate in the Puma NXTPro basketball tournament. Detectives said the five teens, members of the Run it Up travel basketball program, concealed merchandise including Doritos, gummies, Starburst Minis, a Big Mama sausage, lemonade, and grape and orange Slurpees before leaving the store without paying. The total value of the stolen merchandise was $37.60.
A store clerk confronted the group about the theft, but the suspects fled the store. Responding deputies later found three of the teens near the entrance to Solterra Resort, where investigators said they had placed the stolen items into a backpack and hidden it in nearby bushes.
Detectives then contacted the team’s coach, 27-year-old Malik Abdul Harvey of Bryans Road, Maryland, and asked if he could identify the remaining two suspects seen on surveillance video. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Harvey falsely claimed he did not know who they were in an effort to protect them.
Later that morning, deputies located the remaining two suspects, who admitted Harvey was their coach. Investigators said Harvey later confessed that he lied to protect the teens.
The five juvenile suspects were each charged with:
Conspiracy to Commit Retail Theft (F3)
Tampering with Evidence (F3)
Petit Theft (M1)
Violation of the County Curfew Ordinance for Juveniles (M)
The teens arrested were identified as:
17-year-old Tavion Rashaud Hale of Washington, D.C.
16-year-old Taureon Darnell Ferrell of Washington, D.C.
16-year-old Obai Sankoh Sheriff of Lanham, Maryland
16-year-old James Thomas Hall of Washington, D.C.
17-year-old Tyjuan Grover of Washington, D.C.
Harvey was also arrested and charged with Child Neglect (F3), Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor (M1), Accessory After the Fact (M1), and Resisting Without Violence (M1).
The Sheriff’s Office said Harvey is employed by the Department of Juvenile Services at the Cheltenham Youth Detention Center in Maryland, where he assists and mentors youth. Authorities said the basketball trip was not connected to his employment.
Sheriff Grady Judd said visitors are welcome in Polk County, but warned that those who commit crimes should expect to be arrested before heading home.
