Former Syracuse linebacker Malcolm Cater was sentenced to one to three years in state prison Monday after pleading guilty to three counts of third-degree burglary, defense lawyer James McGraw confirmed.

McGraw said Cater got a break from County Judge William Walsh and would probably not serve an entire year in prison. Cater will probably serve about 90 days, starting immediately, McGraw said.

‘He got a break, it’s his first offense,’ McGraw said. ‘He’s got potential to be a lot more than a burglar and the judge wanted to give him an opportunity.’

McGraw said the program Cater will enter is a program where he will only be in prison for a short period of time and will hopefully never want to return. Cater will head straight to a special facility, serve his time and then be released on parole, McGraw said.

Cater was sentenced for three separate break-ins on Syracuse University’s South Campus in December. Two of the burglaries were apartments on Farm Acre Road and one was an apartment on Small Road. Cater was dismissed from the football team by head coach Doug Marrone immediately following the arrest and was removed from SU shortly after, McGraw said. McGraw confirmed Monday that one of the victims of Cater’s spree was SU starting quarterback Ryan Nassib.

Cater played in all 12 of SU’s regular-season games last season as a freshman. He totaled 13 total tackles and one sack and primarily played on special teams. He was dropped from the team after being arrested last December, prior to the Pinstripe Bowl.

medelane@syr.edu 

Published on October 3, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Meghin: medelane@syr.edu | @meghinwithani