Boxer Terence Crawford turns himself in to authorities

WBO super lightweight champion Terence Crawford turned himself in to authorities Friday morning in Omaha, Neb., and faces four misdemeanor charges stemming from an incident that took place at a local auto body shop last week.

According to the Associated Press, Crawford is accused of causing $5,000 in damage to a hydraulic lift at Extreme Custom Fleet and Auto Spa after a dispute over a paint job. Shop owner Michael Nelson told police that the boxer owed him $1,350 for a paint job on a 1984 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Nelson said that he told Crawford that his car would remain on the lift until the balance was paid in full. He alleges that Crawford and three associates took matters into their own hands and took the car down from the lift, tied a rope around it and hauled it out of the shop, damaging the lift in the process.

What was originally a felony theft charge has been reduced to four misdemeanors: destruction of property, theft of service, misdemeanor assault and trespassing. Crawford’s attorney, Steve Lefler, said that this is more of a civil dispute and a lawsuit would be filed at a later date. Crawford refused to comment upon turning himself in.

Top Rank Promotions has been seeking to schedule Crawford for his first pay-per-view fight against Viktor Postol in Las Vegas on July 23. The unbeaten Crawford has reportedly already signed the contract and all that remains is for Postol to add his signature, but some minor details are still being ironed out.

Crawford’s court date is currently scheduled for May.