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Banks, 28, already was wanted by several police agencies for failing to show up for court on a variety of charges.
He was was charged along with other members of an offshoot of the infamous James Bond Gang burglary ring following a high-speed chase and crash while being pursued by police after break-ins at homes in Sparta and Jefferson Township.
Other charges stem from him threatening the father of a woman he’d been seeing with a broomstick and a belt, police said. Banks had been out on bail following a domestic violence incident 10 days before Christmas last year when the alleged attack occurred.
He also faces complaints of hindering prosecution, obstruction, criminal mischief and other counts from previous cases — and those are just in Englewood.
Besides the Morris County case, additional charges are pending elsewhere, including in Wayne, records show.
Today’s incident occurred about 8:20 a.m. in Englewood’s 3rd Ward, when the woman called police “to report that Banks had burglarized the home, surprised her inside and began verbally harassing her,” Detective Capt. Timothy Torell told CLIFFVIEW PILOT tonight.
“When she told Banks to leave, he slashed her vehicle’s tires with a knife, fleeing the area before police arrived,” Torell said.
An arrest warrant was drawn up charging him with domestic violence/armed burglary, weapons possession, criminal mischief and harassment.
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Englewood police ask that you call them if you see Banks: (201) 568-2700. Do not try to do anything else yourself, Torell said. “All calls will remain confidential,” the captain said.
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The New Orleans Hornets signed the 6-foot-8-inch Bergen Catholic star as an undrafted rookie free agent in the summer of 2005 and assigned him to the team’s developmental affiliate in Tulsa after he averaged four points a game in pre-season and spend the first seven games of the NBA season on the inactive list.
After the Hornets waived him, Banks played in Puerto Rico and with other U.S. developmental teams. He’d become a father and had hopes of playing for Great Britain’s national team. His last great hurrah was scoring 14 points in a D-League All-Star game five years ago.
The naturally gifted Banks wasn’t just any player coming out of Bergen County. At Memphis University, he was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year in 2004, scoring 17.4 points per game and grabbing 6.5 rebounds for a major college program.
But things went sour after Banks left school, unable to meet the academic requirements.
His criminal behavior began simply, with charges of drunk driving and the gang-related marking of a girl with a cigarette.
Then it got worse.
Banks was in an SUV that took off after being stopped for speeding in August 2011 a short time after a pair of nearby burglaries.
The vehicle flipped during the chase, trapping Banks and three other men with him inside. Inside the SUV, police said, they recovered more than $20,000 worth of stolen goods.
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