Cops in Texas say a high school basketball star had a secret weapon: He was secretly 25 years old.
Sidney Gilstrap-Portley is now accused of posing as a 17-year-old at Hillcrest High School in Dallas, where he reportedly led his team to the playoffs as offensive player of the year.
"He fooled us, he did," Principal Christopher Bayer told CBS News. "It's painful to even say that because it hurts in both ways."
According to officials, Gilstrap-Portley, a 2011 graduate of a high school in a town 20 minutes away, came into their school claiming to be a victim left homeless by Hurricane Harvey.
Dallas school superintendent Michael Hinojosa says in those situations, the district temporarily waives ID requirements.
And school administrators took pity on Gilstrap-Portley after hearing his story.
For the next nine months, cops say he existed among the teenagers at Hillcrest High School and became their varsity basketball team's high scorer.
It was only when former coaches from his original basketball team came forward to cast a more critical light on the 6-foot-2 guard, who allegedly went by Rashun Richardson and often scored 30 points a game.
A mother has since come forward alleging Gilstrap-Portley dated her 14-year-old daughter and convinced the family he was 17, according to the Dallas News.
Gilstrap-Portley has been arrested on charges he tampered with government records, and has been released on bond. Meanwhile, investigators are also looking into the reports of the alleged 14-year-old girlfriend.
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