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Charlotte Hornets center, former Louisville star Montrezl Harrell cited on drug charges


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LOUISVILLE – Former Louisville forward Montrezl Harrell has been charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana on the morning of May 12, according to court records.

According to the report, at 9:58 a.m., Harrell, a free agent who played with the Charlotte Hornets last season, was stopped in Richmond, Kentucky, when the car he was in — a 2020 Honda Pilot —was following the car in front of him too closely. The responding officer said a marijuana odor exuded from Harrell, who was a passenger in the car and said he had rented it.

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Harrell admitted to being in possession of marijuana and pulled "a small amount" from his sweatpants, according to the police report. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a backpack that contained three pounds of vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, the report said.

Harrell's arraignment was originally scheduled for Monday but has been moved to 9:30 a.m. July 13. The trafficking charge is his first offense and a class D felony, which comes with 1-5 years in prison if convicted.

In his eighth NBA season, Harrell averaged 11.4 points and 4.9 rebounds with the Hornets after being traded from the Washington Wizards in February. The Hornets went 43-39 last season and fell to the Atlanta Hawks 132-103 in the play-in game, missing the playoffs.

During his career at Louisville, the North Carolina native averaged 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while helping the squad win a national championship as a freshman in 2013. The title was later vacated due to NCAA violations.