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Irvin cleared Feds dismiss charges after drug bust
DALLAS (AP) -- Former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin won't be charged with marijuana possession following his arrest at an apartment where police said they found drugs. FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey would not elaborate on the reasons for the decision because the investigation, which involves other people, is ongoing. Bailey left open the possibility that Irvin could face other charges stemming from the probe. Irvin was arrested at a north Dallas apartment, where authorities said they found marijuana along with small amounts of a substance resembling cocaine and pills later identified as ecstasy. A North Texas drug task force had a warrant for the apartment's tenant, who was not there. Irvin and the tenant's sister, 21-year-old Nelly Adaham, were at the apartment and were arrested after less than 2 ounces of marijuana was found, officials said. She has also been identified in a police report as Nelly Adham. Howard Shapiro, Irvin's attorney, said he expected his client would be cleared. Irvin and Shapiro have said that Irvin was in the wrong place at the wrong time and the drugs were not his. "Mr. Irvin is very excited about going forward with his broadcasting career," Shapiro said. "We're very pleased that this ordeal is over. "We felt this would be the ultimate outcome, but you never know until it happens," he said.
Thursday night, federal agents arrested 20-year-old Rhonda Adaham, the original person they were seeking. Officers found her in a phone booth in Carrollton, a Dallas suburb, Bailey said. Rhonda Adaham was indicted on federal drug trafficking charges in 1999. Authorities issued a warrant for her arrest Aug. 7 after she reportedly tested positive for drugs, which violated the conditions of her pre-trial release, Bailey said. Adaham was part of a group accused of selling the heroin that killed Mark Tuinei of the Dallas Cowboys last year, authorities told The Dallas Morning News in Friday's editions. Authorities said Irvin's arrest was purely happenstance, and they did not know he was in the apartment they were targeting. Irvin in 1996 pleaded no contest to second-degree felony cocaine possession in exchange for four years of deferred probation, a $10,000 fine and dismissal of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges from the same incident. The terms included 800 hours of community service. The NFL suspended Irvin for five games. He finished his deferred probation on the charge July 6, four days before announcing his retirement. Irvin, who won three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, retired July 10 after seriously injuring his neck Oct. 10 in a game at Philadelphia. He was hired to work on the Sunday pregame show on Fox Sports Net. Irvin caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards in his career. At the time of his final play, both figures ranked ninth in NFL history. Of the players ahead of him, only Jerry Rice had as many Super Bowl rings.
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