Tulane quarterback TJ Finley was a victim of an online “scam” that led to his arrest on charges involving a stolen vehicle, his lawyers said in a statement Thursday.

New Orleans-based attorneys David I. Courcelle and Scott C. Stansbury said in a statement to WVUE Fox 8 TV that Finley — who once played at Auburn — purchased a used pickup truck via Facebook Marketplace. He was unaware the vehicle was stolen, the statement said.

Here’s the full text:

“TJ Finley was a victim of a Facebook Marketplace scam. He purchased a used pickup truck from an individual who presented himself as John Spillway, representing Mountain Adventures, LLC. Spillway presented TJ with both a bill of sale and registration, giving TJ every reason to believe the purchase was legitimate. Within three days of the purchase, Tulane police informed TJ that the truck had been reported stolen. TJ looks forward to continuing to cooperate fully with the authorities in hopes of recovering the funds he lost, bringing the criminal(s) to justice, and clearing his name and reputation. TJ is hopeful that this process will be completed quickly so that he can move forward with his academics and athletic career.”

Finley, 23, was suspended indefinitely by Tulane’s athletics department on Thursday after being booked into the Orleans Parish Prison on a charge of “illegally possessing a stolen item worth more than $25,000.” He was released on bond a short time later.

Originally from Ponchatoula, La., Finley played at LSU (2020), Auburn (2021-22), Texas State (2023) and Western Kentucky (2024) before transferring in January to Tulane. He played in 13 games (with six starts) in two seasons at Auburn, passing for 1,258 yards and seven touchdowns with five interceptions.

At Tulane, Finley was set to compete for the starting job with two other transfers, Cadin Semonza (Ball State) and Donovan Leary (Illinois). Green Wave coach Jon Sumrall spoke briefly with reporters on Thursday, but said he was unable to address Finley’s arrest in detail.

“Legally, I can’t,” Sumrall said, when asked for comment regarding Finley. “I’m not in a position to dive into it. Things happen off the field. It’s unfortunate. … Guys make mistakes and they have to have accountability.”