Former Suns player Rex Chapman pleads guilty to theft

Former Phoenix Suns star and executive Rex Chapman pleaded guilty Friday to four felony theft charges for stealing merchandise last year from a Scottsdale Apple Store.

The Class 6 felony charges, the lowest felony class in Arizona, against Chapman could be reduced to misdemeanors at his Sept. 25 sentencing hearing, when he likely will be sentenced to probation. Chapman, 47, already has agreed to pay full restitution of $15,128.30 to the Apple Store (50 percent before his hearing and 50 percent during probation) and will serve 750 hours of community service.

Chapman was charged and entered his plea during the same Friday hearing in Maricopa County Superior Court.

"In Arizona, for the first offense, it almost always will result in probation," Maricopa County Attorney's Office spokesman Jerry Cobb said.

Chapman was arrested on Sept. 19 last year after Scottsdale police determined that Chapman stole merchandise during nine Apple Store visits over three months and later sold the stolen items to a pawn shop. Shortly thereafter, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that the former University of Kentucky star entered a 28-day Louisville substance abuse treatment program for an addition to prescription pain killers that he later said began while having 10 surgeries during his 12-year NBA career.

Chapman finished his NBA career with four seasons in Phoenix (1996-2000) and then joined the Suns organization as a scout before being promoted to the front office as director of basketball operations. He also was a Denver Nuggets executive but kept a home in Phoenix, where he later became a broadcast analyst for the 2013-14 Grand Canyon University basketball season.

Reach Paul Coro at paul.coro@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-2470. Follow him at twitter.com/paulcoro.

Profile: Rex Chapman