PROVO, Utah — A BYU football player faces multiple charges, including DUI and possession of a fake driver's license, after being arrested earlier this month.
Records show linebacker Ephraim Asiata, 20, was stopped while driving on July 2 in Provo after a Utah County Sheriff's Office deputy noticed a vehicle "straddling over the solid white fog line and into the bike lane" on Slate Canyon Drive.
Immediately after being stopped, Asiata allegedly gave the deputy a fake name and date of birth, while the deputy observed that Asiata had "red, glossy eyes" and smelled alcohol inside the vehicle.
A half-full can of alcohol was seen in the vehicle, according to the trooper, "as if it had been placed there quickly."
The deputy reported that Asiata failed numerous field sobriety tests and that his preliminary breath test measured .086, which is higher than the Utah legal limit of 0.05.
Court records show Asiata later admitted to having a fake driver's license to purchase alcohol, as he is under the legal age in Utah.
In January 2022, Asiata was one of three teenagers shot by a then-14-year-old near the Hunter High School campus in West Valley City. Asiata was critically injured in the shooting, and the other two who were shot, Tivani Lopati and Paul Tahi, were killed.
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Asiata later graduated from Herriman High School before committing to play for BYU, where he played in 11 games his freshman season. He was set to begin his Redshirt Sophomore season with the Cougars in the fall.
BYU officials told FOX 13 News that the school "is aware of the situation, and it is currently under evaluation by the university."
