Ex-Steeler LeGarrette Blount gets pot charge dropped
Judge told New England Patriots RB to turn negative into positive by doing community service with children's group
Prosecutors have dropped a marijuana charge against New England Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount that stemmed from an arrest with former Steelers teammate Le'Veon Bell last year.
At a December hearing, District Judge Richard Opiela told Blount the charge would go away if the player completed 50 hours of community service by Feb. 4. He said he wanted Blount to spend the time volunteering at an inner-city youth center.
Blount's lawyer, Casey White, says he notified the court Friday that Blount satisfied the requirement by working with a group called Urban Achievers in Boston. The group's website says it works to improve "the academic and social outcomes of children living in under-served and under-resourced communities."
Blount and Bell were charged after police say they found marijuana in Bell's car during an Aug. 20 traffic stop on McKnight Road in Ross Township.
District attorney's spokesman Mike Manko said plea agreements like Blount's "are common in cases involving small amounts of marijuana."
"He regrets putting himself in that situation, he regrets having the Steelers deal with that type of situation, as well as he's happy that this is the first step in righting a wrong, and he's looking forward to helping the youth and community he serves," White said after the Dec. 10 hearing. "He made a mistake. It's his first mistake. He's never been in trouble, never been arrested. This is his first brush with the law. He made a mistake, he's going to pay for it, and at the end, it's not going to carry on with him the rest of his life."
Bell has agreed to enter a first-time offenders program that could enable him to get his record expunged if he completes probation. A judge must approve Bell's entry into the program.