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Summary:

Former NBA player Tony Allen, known for his defensive prowess with the Memphis Grizzlies, was arrested in Arkansas on Wednesday. He and the driver of the vehicle he was in, William Hatton, were charged with drug possession after police detected marijuana and discovered cocaine during a traffic stop. This is not Allen’s first encounter with the law, as he was previously arrested for domestic assault (charges later dropped) and pleaded guilty in a fraud case involving NBA health benefits.

News Article:

Former Grizzlies Star Tony Allen Arrested on Drug Charges in Arkansas

HARRISBURG, AR – Former Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen, 43, was arrested in Poinsett County, Arkansas, on Wednesday on multiple drug charges. Allen, a key member of the Grizzlies’ famed “Core Four,” was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Department on Interstate 555 near Memphis.

According to the incident report, a strong odor of marijuana prompted a search of the vehicle, driven by William Hatton, 33. A subsequent search of Allen revealed a green leafy substance identified as marijuana. A search of the vehicle then uncovered cocaine in a cigarette box.

Allen and Hatton were both charged with possession of methamphetamine or cocaine (less than two grams) and possession of marijuana (less than four grams). They were booked into the Poinsett County Detention Center.

Allen, drafted by the Boston Celtics in 2004 and a 2008 NBA champion, rose to prominence during his tenure with the Grizzlies from 2010 to 2017. He was recognized as one of the league’s premier defensive players, earning three first-team All-Defensive selections.

This is not Allen’s first brush with the law. In 2021, he was arrested on domestic violence charges, which were later dropped. Last year, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud and wire fraud in a case involving defrauding the NBA’s health and welfare benefit plans. He was sentenced to community service and three years of supervised probation.

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