Florida Criminal Attorney Blog
Ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf was arrested Friday in his hometown of Great Falls, Montana following a month-long investigation regarding accusations he broke into an acquaintances home to steal pain medications.
He was been charged with burglary, possession of a dangerous drug and theft. He is currently free on $76,000 bail and is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.
In 2008, Leaf was accused of burglarizing a player’s home while he was a quarterbacks coach for Division II West Texas A&M. The investigation alleged he obtained nearly 1,000 pain pills from area pharmacies in an eight-month span. A plea agreement was reached leaving Leaf with 10 years’ probation.
According to reports, the prosecutor for that case plans to file a motion Monday to revoke Leaf’s probation following his Montana arrest.
The investigation apparently began when postal workers in Great Falls brought it to the police’s attention that Leaf was allegedly receiving c.o.d. packages once or twice a week worth $500 or more.
Police claim the packages were small, rattled and were sent from a Florida address apparently identified as a mailbox company. Police decided the activity was suspicious and decided to watch the man. Authorities apparently made the decision to confront the man after packages allegedly started arriving more frequently.
Leaf’s probation officer was told by police to call the man in. A search of Leaf and his truck allegedly revealed two prescription bottles in a pocket of a golf bag embroidered with the man’s initials.
Officers claim one unlabeled bottle contained 28 pills of oxycodone, which Leaf does not have a valid prescription for. Another bottle was allegedly found empty but its label indicated it was oxycodone prescribed for another person.
Police apparently interviewed the man and owner of the home Leaf is accused of breaking into, his live-in girlfriend and his housekeeper, and gathered that Leaf entered the house without permission on Thursday afternoon and took the man’s prescription drugs.
Leaf is accused of entering the man’s home Thursday, surprising the housekeeper and stealing the man’s prescribed medication.
The man allegedly discovered his pills to be missing Thursday evening and called Leaf to confront him, asking him to return the pills. The man claims Leaf did not return the pills.
A search of Leaf’s home did not yield any more painkillers or any evidence that he was receiving illegal prescriptions via mail.
Leaf allegedly told police that he had been receiving medication through the mail for which he has a prescription, but he did not provide proof.
Leaf had surgery last year to remove a benign tumor from his brain stem and later underwent additional radiation treatments.
Leaf could be looking at a prison sentence of longer than the 10-year probation term, should the Texas judge revoke his probation. Due to the plea deals agreed upon regarding Leaf’s drug charges in Texas — seven counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud and one count of delivery of a simulated controlled substance — the judge could treat each count separately.
Some of these charges carry prison sentences up to 20 years.
If convicted of illegally possessing prescription drugs, you face a slew of consequences including expensive fines, prison time and a permanent criminal record. Unfortunately, prescription drugs are highly addictive and many people find themselves struggling with an addiction to pain killers following an injury or surgery. Once their prescription runs out, they may experience symptoms of withdrawal and resort to any means possible to feed their habit – even through illegal means.
The Florida Illegal Prescription Drug Attorneys at Whittel & Melton defend people facing prescription drug charges. In fact, we work together with medical experts and drug counselors in order to convey the addictive qualities found in prescription pills, in addition to their physiological and psychological impacts. Every case is unique and the court may take into consideration the distinct set of circumstances surrounding your case. Our attorneys will make certain the court fully understands your situation as well as the medical and psychological reasons that justify any possible abuse of prescription drugs.
Despite whether you are under investigation or have already been arrested, it is necessary to take the first step towards protecting your rights by contacting the Florida Drug Crimes Attorneys at Whittel & Melton. As with all drug cases, there are various factors that must be discussed. Prosecutors are interested in getting you to talk or admit your guilt to avoid going to trial. Many times these plea deals promise less severe consequences than if you are convicted at trial. However, plea bargains are not always in your best interest. As trial attorneys, we can evaluate your case and any evidence against you to determine the best plan of attack.
If you’ve been arrested for illegally possessing prescription drugs anywhere in the state of Florida, contact the Florida Illegal Prescription Drug Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or dial us statewide and toll-free at 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).