Cincinnati Bengals’ WR Jerome Simpson in deal with prosecutors over drug tracking case-NFL News
Cincinnati Bengals’ wide receiver, Jerome Simpson, is said to have reached an agreement with the prosecutors in Kenton County about the drug trafficking case he has been involved in.
The deal has come as a result of the player pleading guilty to the drug charges, but he will still face multiple penalties, including a jail term.
A local circuit court is due to proceed with the sentencing, at the hearing of the case on April 05, 2012, which will determine the intensity of penalty the player receives after his acceptance of the charges.
He can be sentenced to a 60-day term in prison. The agreement’s terms also include 200 hours of community work, drug treatment and three years under probation.
Further, the player faces suspension from the National Football League (NFL) over violation of the league’s rules regarding players’ personal conduct.
Simpson’s case was first reported in September last year (2011), when local agents from the state of California tracked a package containing marijuana to the player’s home address in Northern Kentucky.
Following recovery of two pounds of marijuana from the package, agents raided his house where they found another pound of marijuana, according to Commonwealth's Attorney, Rob Sanders, on Thursday, March 01, 2012.
The player was charged on the count of drug trafficking and the case has been pending for the final verdict since then, as he did not accept those charges initially.
During the hearing of the case in Kenton County Circuit Court, the player was reported to have reached a deal with the prosecution, hoping the ordeal to be over soon.
Under the terms of the deal, the player is able to avoid the charges of dealing illegal drugs since there is no supporting evidence.
According to the attorney, the player was in possession of these drugs for personal use and was probably sharing it with his friends as well, but there was no evidence pointing to Simpson dealing as well.
The prosecutor further clarified that Simpson has not been given any special treatment and the prospective jail term of 60 days will be "probably on the high end of average" for a case of this nature.
Simpson, who was present in the court during the hearing of the case, left the court room with his lawyer immediately after the proceedings were over. Both of them refrained from commenting on any aspect of the case and the agreement.
Even though the agreement has changed the drug trafficking charges, it is still a Class D felony, and the player is very much prone to multiple penalties.
Even if he is able to successfully escape possibility serious sentence, the sword of suspension from the game by the league office would still hang over his head.
The suspension would certainly come as a serious setback to his hopes of continuing playing football, and he might lose his place in NFL for a couple of years.
Tags: