Charlotte Hornets center Montrezl Harrell is set to be a free agent on July 1, but he is facing more pressing issues regarding his future, on and off the court, after a traffic stop in Kentucky last month.
According to court records and a police report obtained by the Charlotte Observer’s Rod Boone, Harrell was pulled over on May 12 for following a car too close in Richmond, Kent., and police claim a subsequent search of the vehicle he was driving found three pounds of weed.
Trooper Jesse Owens stated he “upon stop observed odor of marijuana” from the silver 2020 Honda Pilot that Harrell was driving, according to the citation. Harrell, Owens wrote in the report, “admitted to being in possession of marijuana and produced a small amount from his sweatpants.” During a subsequent search of the vehicle, which the report states Harrell claims was rented, “three pounds of marijuana in vacuum sealed bags” were found in a backpack in the back seat, according to the citation. He’s been charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana.
That charge is a Class D felony in Kentucky, carrying a potential sentence of 1-5 years and a fine of up to $10,000. Harrell was set to be arraigned on Monday morning at 9 a.m., but no further details have emerged since that scheduled court appearance. Kentucky is one of 14 states in the United States without legalized marijuana in any form, medical or recreational.