Former NBA player and Arkansas Razorbacks standout Courtney Fortson has been arrested in Arkansas on multiple charges related to a series of alleged thefts from a local grocery store.
The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that, according to the Lowell Police Department, Fortson, 37, was taken into custody on October 23 and booked on seven counts of breaking or entering, seven counts of commercial burglary, and one count of theft of property.
Authorities say the investigation began earlier this month after a store manager reported a suspected theft involving the former athlete.
The incident reportedly occurred on October 14, when Fortson attempted to leave the grocery store with a full shopping cart after scanning only a few items at self-checkout.
According to the affidavit, an employee approached Fortson to verify his receipt, but he allegedly stated that he would “go back to the checkout” to retrieve it. When the employee turned to assist another customer, Fortson reportedly left the store and drove off, leaving the cart behind.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage and payment records associated with the same credit card used during the visit.
The store’s manager discovered six additional transactions between September 4 and October 6 that followed the same pattern — Fortson appeared to purchase one to three items while taking the remainder of his cart without payment. The total estimated value of the unpurchased merchandise across the seven incidents was $1,065.
Fortson, who was released on a $10,000 bond, is scheduled to appear in Benton County Circuit Court on December 1.
A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Fortson gained national attention playing for the University of Arkansas between 2008 and 2010, where he recorded the school’s second-ever triple-double as a sophomore.
After going undrafted in 2010, he launched a professional career that spanned more than a decade across the NBA, G League, and several international leagues.
His NBA tenure included short stints with the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets during the 2011–2012 season, followed by a successful overseas career in Russia, Turkey, and China.
In 2018, he was named Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) MVP, averaging over 31 points and 12 assists per game with the Zhejiang Lions. Fortson most recently played for Changsha Wantian Yongsheng in China’s National Basketball League earlier this year.
The Lowell Police Department has not released additional details as the case remains under investigation.