Mateen Cleaves’ lawyer: Criminal probe ‘private matter’

Prosecutors say former Michigan State University basketball star and television analyst Mateen Cleaves is the subject of a sexual assault investigation but has not been charged.

According to Maria Miller, the director of communications for the Wayne County prosecutors office, Cleaves is under investigation for a possible sexual assault.

“There was an investigation concerning Mateen Cleaves, and based on relationship between (the) Leyton family and a witness in the case, Prosecutor Leyton … has chose to recuse himself”, Potbury told the Free Press Friday.

Details of the case were not released Friday. Potbury said Leyton had consulted with the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan.

MLive reports Cleaves has no previous convictions of serious misdemeanors or felonies, citing Michigan State Police records, although he was previously under investigation for drunk driving, which he pleaded down to careless driving. The Pistons selected him 14th overall in the 2000 draft and he played for the Kings, Celtics, Supersonics, and Cavaliers, before going into the booth with FOX and then CBS.