Myron Medcalf
Multiple Authors
Authorities found 2.1 pounds of marijuana in Alabama star Aden Holloway‘s condo when he was arrested on a felony drug possession cost Monday morning, in keeping with charging paperwork obtained by ESPN on Tuesday.
The quantity found within the arrest is critical as a result of any quantity of marijuana above 2.2 pounds — or a kilogram — within the state of Alabama may end up in a drug trafficking cost.
Holloway, who was “removed from campus” and isn’t with the group days earlier than the NCAA match as a result of of the arrest, advised police he needed to train his Miranda rights and stay silent through the search of his condo however then advised police “he only smokes.”
Coach Nate Oats stated the group is getting ready to play with out Holloway when it faces Hofstra on Friday within the NCAA match.
Holloway posted $5,000 bail and was launched from the Tuscaloosa County jail shortly after his arrest.
He has been charged with a category C felony drug possession cost, “not for personal use,” and a failure to affix a tax stamp cost. They are each felonies they usually each carry a most sentence of 10 years in jail and a $15,000 high quality.
Per the charging paperwork, the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force was executing a search warrant at Holloway’s condo when authorities found marijuana in a backpack, a jacket pocket, a suitcase, in a TV leisure stand and a vacuum-sealed bag, alongside with money, the prescription sedative promethazine, a “rolling tray” and packaging supplies.
That was simply in a single room.
Authorities additionally found marijuana in a field and a drawer in a spare bed room.
It’s unclear what prompted the search warrant.
Jason Neff, Holloway’s legal professional, stated his consumer was stopped for reckless driving and given a quotation after police additionally found a small quantity of marijuana in his automobile final week throughout a site visitors cease, days earlier than his arrest on Monday. Neff stated he does not imagine the 2 incidents are related.
Neff additionally stated Holloway has been adamant that he is harmless of the felony drug cost and had marijuana at his condo just for private use.
Neff has requested a listening to with college officers to reverse his campus ban — generally known as an “interim measure” — so he can return to class. That might probably open the door for him to play once more, however that is as much as the powerbrokers at Alabama, together with Oats, he stated.
The timing is not nice. Alabama is on spring break, so a listening to that’s usually scheduled a day or two after a request won’t occur till subsequent week.
Per the charging paperwork, authorities imagine Holloway was in possession of “marijuana for other than personal use” and “did possess, distribute, sell, transport, import, transfer or otherwise use a controlled substance, to wit: marijuana, on which a tax had not been imposed.”
Neff stated there is no such thing as a proof his consumer was promoting marijuana.
Holloway didn’t have a prescription for the promethazine, per authorities, which might end in one other cost.
Neff stated the state of Alabama strikes slowly with felony drug circumstances. Holloway’s preliminary listening to will not occur for not less than six weeks, he stated, however it may take a yr and a half for the case to succeed in its conclusion. Either method, it might have repercussions on his skilled future, he stated.
“He has no criminal history,” Neff stated. “If he were to plead out or even go to trial, the judge could give him probation. It is a felony. For a 21-year-old man trying to get through college and get to the NBA, a felony issue could be a major issue long term.”
Per a press release from the college, Holloway was faraway from campus Monday pending an investigation by Alabama’s Office of Student Conduct.
On his radio present Monday, Oats stated that Holloway must be held “accountable.”
“We got standards in our program and we’ve got ways we’ve held our guys accountable. And we try to keep everything in-house, obviously some of the situations you can’t, and this is one of those,” Oats stated on his radio present on Monday night about Holloway, who’s second on the group in scoring at 16.8 factors per recreation. “We found out about what was going on this morning, I found out this morning. I guess it all went down this morning. And we had to suspend him pending the investigation. … We’re certainly disappointed in his behavior. But that being said, we still love him, he’s still our guy. We’re helping him get the help that he needs and we’re going to continue to help him whatever way we can. But as far as our team goes, I thought we had a great practice, we’re preparing to play without him this weekend.”
Holloway is a key participant for an Alabama group that’s ranked third in adjusted offensive effectivity. The Crimson Tide are additionally main the nation at 91.7 factors per recreation. With Holloway on the courtroom this season, Alabama has been 9.7 factors per 100 possessions higher on offense than they have been with out him, in keeping with EvanMiya.com. He has additionally been the main scorer in 4 of the group’s previous 11 video games. He’s an elite 3-point shooter (44%) and possesses the very best offensive score on the group on KenPom.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello contributed to this report.
