Ralph Sampson pleads guilty to child support misdemeanor

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) _ Former University of Virginia and Houston Rockets basketball star Ralph Sampson pleaded guilty in federal court Monday to failing to pay more than $22,000 in child support. He faces a second child-support count in Charlottesville on Wednesday.

U.S. Magistrate Dennis Dohnal set sentencing in the Richmond case for July 8. The misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in jail, a $5,000 fine and one year of probation.

Sampson's lawyer, Frederick Heblich of Charlottesville, said after the hearing that he does not expect his client to serve jail time. Sampson has already paid all but $1,243 of the $22,450 he owed in the Richmond case and all but about $1,800 of the $29,542 he is charged with owing in the Charlottesville case, Heblich said.

``There is no special treatment here,'' Heblich said. He said probation is a typical sentence for someone who pleads guilty to a child support misdemeanor and makes restitution.

``The purpose of the statute is to encourage compliance,'' he said.

After entering his plea in federal court, Sampson was taken into custody on a state charge of failing to appear for a previously scheduled hearing in Charlottesville Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Sampson, 42, said little during Monday's court appearance. Dohnal asked him a series of questions that required only ``yes'' or ``no'' answers. When Dohnal asked if he had willfully not paid the court-ordered child support, Sampson replied ``not willfully,'' but acknowledged that he did not pay support as ordered for a 14-year-old daughter who lives in Falmouth.

Heblich said Sampson also will plead guilty to a misdemeanor in the Charlottesville case, which involves an 18-year-old daughter who will graduate from high school in June.

The 7-foot-4 Sampson, a Harrisonburg native who now lives in suburban Atlanta, was the first pick of the 1983 NBA draft by the Rockets.

According to court documents, Sampson was paid $539,060 in 1999 and $134,765 in 2000 by the Sacramento Kings. In 2001, he earned $11,207 while employed by a number of organizations, including NBA Entertainment.

Heblich said he did not know anything about Sampson's financial condition.