3 former UBC football players arrested and charged after sexual assault allegations

Vancouver -

Three former UBC Thunderbirds football players have been arrested and charged with sexual assault in relation to an alleged incident at a residence located on UBC’s main Vancouver campus in 2018.

RCMP say they received a call from a woman in the early hours of a fall morning.

“Just before 4:30 a.m. on November 5, 2018 University RCMP received a 911 call from a woman who reported she had been sexually assaulted by three men, at the residence in Vancouver on Acadia Road,” reads a news statement from B.C. RCMP Sgt. Janelle Shoihet.

The men, Treymont Levy, 26, Trivel Pinto, 25, and Ben Cummings, 24, have each been charged with one count each of sexual assault, and Levy has also been charged with one count of voyeurism, say police.

The men are all former UBC Thunderbirds football players, with Levy having played as recently as 2016 and Pinto and Cummings as recently as 2018.

“The three men have been arrested and remain in police custody at this time. They are expected to appear in a Richmond Provincial court at a later date,” Shoihet said.

A 2016 article in the UBC student newspaper quoted a Thunderbirds football player by the name of "Tremont Levy" in a story about him and his team’s volunteering for the campus’ Safewalk program.

According to court documents, Levy was also arrested on Nov. 24, 2016 for drug possession with intent to traffic, and in May 2019 was “ordered to stand trial” for the charge.

Pinto was signed to the Calgary Stampeders in January 2021, and is listed on the team’s online roster.

A LinkedIn profile for a former UBC Thunderbirds football player named Ben Cummings includes information on his volunteer work. According to his profile, he has held the position of “coach” for “UBC Football Youth Camps” from June 2014 to present day, and also volunteered with the university's Safewalk program.

Charges have been approved by BC Prosecution Service but the allegations have not been proven in court.

In a statement, UBC’s Ainsley Carr, vice president of students, said the school has known of the sexual assault allegations.

“What I can say is the university has been in contact with the RCMP since the allegations were made.”

According to player stats online, none of the men played for the Thunderbirds after the date of the alleged incident.

“Sexual violence has no place here at UBC and I can tell you those accused are no longer students at the university,” continued Carr’s statement.

Carr did not comment on Levy’s drug charge, the arrest for which took place during the third of his three seasons on the team. Online player stats suggest that Levy did not play any games after that first arrest in Nov. 2016.

Carr also did not comment on whether Cummings has been a volunteer coach for the university’s youth football program.

According to Carr, all UBC student athletes must sign on to the Varsity Code of Conduct, which is “unequivocal.” She also said that she is “shocked and saddened” by the allegations.

“UBC Athletics has prioritized general education within the student population around consent,” she said.

“This includes all athletes attending mandatory educational sessions with the Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office.”

Carr did not specify the year that the training became mandatory.