AJ Ferrari, the former NCAA wrestling champion, has been arrested three times since 2022: a 2022 felony sexual battery arrest in Oklahoma that was later dismissed, a January 2026 traffic stop in Nebraska that turned up a Texas warrant, and a June 2026 high-speed chase in Nebraska that ended with his Corvette in a ditch. He currently faces an unresolved third-degree felony indictment in Texas for evading arrest with a vehicle, plus pending misdemeanor-level charges in Nebraska from the June pursuit. He was released on bond in both active cases.
June 2026 High-Speed Chase in Lincoln County, Nebraska
On the evening of June 26, 2026, a Nebraska State Patrol trooper clocked a Chevrolet Corvette driven by Ferrari at 110 mph in a 55 mph zone on Interstate 80 near North Platte. During the pursuit that followed, the vehicle reached speeds as high as 140 mph.1WOWT. Former Nebraska Wrestler AJ Ferrari Arrested on Multiple Charges in Lincoln County The chase lasted about 11 minutes before Ferrari crashed the Corvette into a ditch along U.S. Highway 83 and fled on foot.2Omaha World-Herald. Former Nebraska Wrestler AJ Ferrari Arrested After Pursuit in Lincoln County
Authorities identified him through items left inside the vehicle and took him into custody early the next morning. He was booked into the Lincoln County Detention Center on charges of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and obstructing the police.1WOWT. Former Nebraska Wrestler AJ Ferrari Arrested on Multiple Charges in Lincoln County He was released on bond. Ferrari had been scheduled to appear at a wrestling camp at Medicine Valley High School the day of his booking.2Omaha World-Herald. Former Nebraska Wrestler AJ Ferrari Arrested After Pursuit in Lincoln County
January 2026 Arrest on a Texas Warrant
Ferrari’s first 2026 arrest came on January 9, hours after Nebraska’s wrestling team defeated Purdue in a home dual meet. A Nebraska State Patrol trooper pulled him over for driving 90 mph on eastbound Interstate 80 near Waverly. The stop turned up an outstanding warrant out of Collin County, Texas, for evading arrest or detention using a vehicle, tied to an October 14, 2025 incident in Allen, Texas.3Daily Nebraskan. Nebraska Wrestler AJ Ferrari Arrested on Texas Warrant4Nebraska.tv. NE Wrestler AJ Ferrari Faces Fugitive Charge
Ferrari was booked into the Lancaster County Jail on a fugitive from justice charge. A judge set bond at $25,000, and he posted the required 10% to secure his release.4Nebraska.tv. NE Wrestler AJ Ferrari Faces Fugitive Charge At a January 12 court appearance, his defense attorney declined to waive extradition, arguing Ferrari had been driving to Omaha to catch a flight to Texas to address the warrant voluntarily when he was stopped. The Nebraska extradition case was dismissed without prejudice on January 15, 2026.51011 Now. Extradition Case Against Husker Wrestler AJ Ferrari Dismissed
The Pending Texas Felony Indictment
The same day the extradition case was dismissed, a Collin County grand jury indicted Ferrari on a third-degree felony charge of using a motor vehicle to evade arrest or detention.61011 Now. Husker Wrestler AJ Ferrari Criminally Indicted on Felony Charge in Texas Under Texas Penal Code Section 38.04, a person commits this offense by intentionally fleeing from someone they know is a peace officer attempting to arrest or detain them; the charge rises to a third-degree felony when a vehicle is used.7Justia. Texas Penal Code Section 38.04 A Texas court appearance was scheduled for February 6, 2026. No plea or trial resolution has been publicly reported.
The Nebraska Athletic Department released a brief statement the day after the January arrest: “The Nebraska Athletic Department is aware of the arrest of AJ Ferrari on Friday night related to an outstanding warrant in Texas. We are awaiting more information from legal authorities involved and have no additional comment at this time.”8WOWT. Standout Nebraska Wrestler AJ Ferrari Booked on Outstanding Warrant From Texas
The 2022 Oklahoma Sexual Battery Arrest and Dismissal
Ferrari’s first arrest came during his time at Oklahoma State. On July 2, 2022, a Stillwater woman reported to police that Ferrari had assaulted her at her home. According to court records, the woman, identified in filings as Ashtin Martinez, alleged that Ferrari pinned her on her bed, attempted to remove her pants, removed her shirt, and touched himself while she repeatedly asked him to stop.9Fox 23. Sexual Battery Charge for OSU Wrestler Dismissed
An Oklahoma judge granted an emergency protective order against Ferrari on July 5, 2022. Oklahoma State announced on July 21 that he was no longer part of the wrestling team.10Yahoo Sports. UNC Denied Wrestler AJ Ferrari11The Oklahoman. AJ Ferrari Sexual Battery Charge Dropped Against Former Oklahoma State Wrestler He was arrested on August 3, 2022, and charged with one felony count of sexual battery, an offense carrying a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison. He posted a $25,000 bond the next day.
On October 6, 2023, Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas moved to dismiss the charge. The motion said the accuser had endured “vicious attacks on multiple forms of social media, continuing trauma, blame, harassment, ostracism and indirect threats to her career” and had decided after consulting with her family that “her further involvement is much less important than her health, a career that she loves and the ugliness and hatred that she encounters and suffers each time this matter progresses into the next step.”9Fox 23. Sexual Battery Charge for OSU Wrestler Dismissed The charge and the protective order were both dismissed. Ferrari’s attorney, Derek Chance, said the defense was “wholly unaware” of the alleged harassment and had been “ready and willing to try this case, which would have ultimately proven A.J.’s innocence.”11The Oklahoman. AJ Ferrari Sexual Battery Charge Dropped Against Former Oklahoma State Wrestler
Where the Cases Stand
As of mid-2026, Ferrari faces active criminal charges in two states. The Texas third-degree felony indictment for evading arrest with a vehicle is unresolved, with no publicly reported plea agreement or trial date. In Nebraska, he faces flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, and obstructing the police from the June 2026 pursuit in Lincoln County. He was released on bond in both matters. The 2022 Oklahoma sexual battery charge was dismissed on the prosecutor’s motion in October 2023 and is closed.
Ferrari entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 1, 2026, and will not return to Nebraska.12InterMat. 3x All-American Ferrari to Enter Transfer Portal He had previously been denied admission at the University of North Carolina in April 2025 after committing to transfer there, with sources telling reporters that concerns about his “legal history and additional negativity it could create for the university” factored into the decision.13Yahoo Sports. UNC Denied Wrestler AJ Ferrari