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Ex-Husker pleads guilty to reusing Osborne check

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By the Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2008 - 06:02:19 pm CDT

A former football player caught reusing a check on Tom and Nancy Osborne’s account admitted in court Tuesday that he was guilty of theft.

“I want to bring this to a closure,” said Lynn Finney, 54.

Finney was a standout defensive player at Pius X High School and on the Husker roster for two years starting in 1972.

Story Photo
Lynn Finney

In a 1995 interview, Finney said he got caught up in the recreational drug scene and had to go through rehabilitation to kick a crack cocaine habit that cost him $150,000.

Standing beside his attorney, Scott Helvie at Tuesday’s hearing, he said he didn’t want to burden the court’s time or Osborne’s.

“I’m guilty,” Finney said, pleading to theft by deception, filed as a felony not because of the amount but due to three prior convictions.

He said he has serious medical issues and wanted to take care of it before he dies.

Helvie said Osborne had given Finney a check to buy medicine at Wal-Mart, which he did.

Then the cashier stamped the check and gave it back to Finney.

He used the same $161 check a second time at Old Chicago in the Haymarket to buy $59.86 of food and to get $101.14 cash back.

The restaurant reported it to police Feb. 12, after learning the electronic check already had been canceled.

Finney told Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront he wanted to make some changes and had the chance to do the right thing. “We’ll see how it goes.”

He’s set for sentencing Sept. 9.


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righting a wrong wrote on July 29, 2008 7:49 pm:
" Mr. Finney, I thank you for owning up to your bad decision. So many people who commit crimes tie up our judicial system by pleading not guilty when caught red handed. Good luck in your rehabilitation. "
Osborne fan wrote on July 29, 2008 8:27 pm:
" It also goes to show what kind of people the Osbornes are. "
Dave wrote on July 29, 2008 9:28 pm:
" I applaud the honesty once caught but it confuses me why anyone would ever
commit a crime in Lincoln, Nebraska the place is the closest thing to Mayberry in the entire United States, its a priveledge to live in this vitual paradise and on top of that someone stealing for just a mere necessity such as food.(Good luck Mr Finney, I wish you well) "
Bob wrote on July 29, 2008 9:46 pm:
" This guy shows up at my business door about three years ago with a sad story and a old new paper article about himself. He needed money for what I can't remember, but it was a good story (of course he was promoting himself as an ex-Ne football player. I gave him 1/2 of what he asked for, with a promise of repayment (Ha). I still have the article and of course have never been repaid. Does this affect me from giving money to someone else that needs it, YES IT DOES. I will always think of this when anyone ask me for money. "
Wow wrote on July 29, 2008 10:35 pm:
" I was confronted by this man at a parking garage at 10th and Q Street last November... he told me he was a former Husker that played with Johnny Rogers (which apparently is true; I didn't believe it at the time); and that he needed "a lift" to a car shop to get his car fixed... and if not a ride, he needed $20 for a cab. Crazy!!! "
Matt wrote on July 30, 2008 6:03 am:
" Hopefully he can turn things around. Nice to see the Osbornes don't give up on others.

However, I can't help but wonder what this man got out of his "education" at UNL. Football at Nebraska is all about business, not an education. "
Yo Matt wrote on July 30, 2008 8:17 am:
" Are you kidding me. I have several friends from the football program that are more than OK because of their education. Just like taking responsibility for ones actions, one must take responsibility for their education. This man was given an opportunity that most are not given and it was his choice not to use it and it was HIS CHOICE to do drugs and get into this mess, don't go blaming others for choices this man did or did not make. "
Think wrote on July 30, 2008 8:18 am:
" When does an ex-husker stop being called an ex-husker. People put these huskers up on a pedistal no wonder some get into trouble. Being an ex-husker doesn't entitle anyone to anything. "
AF wrote on July 30, 2008 9:22 am:
" I think it's a bit of a stretch to extrapolate one man's failures to those of an entire university. I'm sure every school in the country is represented in our prison system. "
Matt wrote on July 30, 2008 10:39 am:
" I'm not blaming others for this man's problems. I also would be willing to bet that a majority of schools in our nation are represented in prison, especially when you consider white-collar criminals.

The education is there if the players want to take the responsibility and learn something. However, most of the football players are not enrolled at the University of Nebraska to be educated, they are recruited to win football games. The bottom line is $$$$$.

But what do I know, I was just a meager number who graduated from said university. "
Drew wrote on July 30, 2008 11:16 am:
" He had to have used the "I'm a former Cornhusker" line with the Old Chicago server who accepted that check! I have never written a check at a restaurant let alone for over $100 the amount and expect cash. Is this really still common practice in Lincoln? Maybe I've lived in Phoenix too long. "
KC wrote on July 30, 2008 1:41 pm:
" Okay..guess I don't get it. If he used a check for the medication as it was meant for, why did the clerk stamp the check and give it back to him? When you write a check, doesn't it get handed over to the person you are buying the goods from and then sent to your bank? Maybe I', not understanding how that works.
And if the check had a stamp on it, why would anyone else not see that stamp and still let him use it to buy food and give the change back in cash?

So...was it just him being sneaky, or the clerks that helped him cash these checks just being stupid???

Holy Toledo...it's hard enough to cash a check anywhere these days without 8 different kinds of identification, a bank account, and a promise of your first child. How did this guy get away with this so easily before getting caught?? "
To KC wrote on July 30, 2008 10:12 pm:
" To clear up your confusion, WalMart runs checks electronically, has you sign a separate reciept (like you used plastic) and runs your reciept on the back of the check and gives it back. It saves you the cancelled check later and the paperwork for them at the moment. I don't like it personally, but what do you do? "
KC wrote on July 31, 2008 9:11 am:
" Thanks for clearing up my confusion. I guess I had never seen this process before. I am usually a "pay by cash only" person. I don't like credit card interest rates, and I hate bank fees.

But thanks for responding and explaining it to me. "
Warren wrote on July 31, 2008 4:50 pm:
" Addiction, whether it be drugs or alcohol, is a terrible trap so many people fall into. It takes your health,ruins lives and destroys self respect. I'm thankful that this individual has owned up to his crime. I'm sure there are others that he may have panhandled to whom he would also ask forgiveness. Don't we all have some things we would like to be able to do over. "
Chris wrote on August 3, 2008 12:32 am:
" The Osborne's are such class acts. We would have never heard about this unless Finney committed this crime. I wonder how many other acts of generosity the Osborne's are involved in that no one ever hears about! How impressive! What incredible people. "

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