Pubdate: Wed, 09 Aug 2000
Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Copyright: 2000 The Dallas Morning News
Contact:  P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, Texas 75265
Fax: (972) 263-0456
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Section: Sports/Inside Cowboys Camp
Author: Todd Bensman and Rick Klein, staff writers
Bookmark: MAP's link to Texas articles is: http://www.mapinc.org/states/tx

IRVIN ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES

Five weeks after completing probation for cocaine possession, former Dallas
Cowboys star Michael Irvin was arrested on a misdemeanor marijuana charge
Wednesday during a federal drug task-force raid of a Far North Dallas
apartment, officials said.

Federal investigators and local police broke down the door of an apartment
in the 3500 block of Timberglen Road about 4:30 p.m. to arrest a woman
wanted in connection with a heroin investigation, Dallas police Lt. Danny
Davis said. That woman was not home, but her sister and Mr. Irvin were
found inside, Lt. Davis said.

"It was by chance that we came across Michael Irvin," said Special Agent
Lori Bailey, an FBI spokeswoman.

Mr. Irvin and the woman, Nelly Adham, 21, of Dallas had "a small amount" of
marijuana and also may have had some cocaine, Agent Bailey said. They were
charged with marijuana possession and booked into the Plano city jail,
police said.

Officer Carl Duke, a Plano police spokesman, said marijuana was found on
Mr. Irvin.

Ms. Adham, who listed her occupation as travel agent, could not be reached
for comment. She had not been arraigned as of late Wednesday.

A crowd of about 30 fans and neighbors cheered as Mr. Irvin walked out of
the Plano jail about 9:15 p.m. Wednesday.

"I really don't know what went on," Mr. Irvin said, adding that police were
looking for someone else. He declined to comment further.

Mr. Irvin said he was not smoking any marijuana and said he "didn't even
know the girl they were looking for."

The crowd continued to cheer as Mr. Irvin drove off in a white Lincoln
Navigator. Mr. Irvin later returned to the jail to retrieve his cell phone.

As he was leaving for the second time, Mattie Brooks of Plano ran up near
Mr. Irvin's car and yelled, "I love you, Michael."

"I think he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time," Ms. Brooks
said. "People should just give him a chance to clear himself."

Last month, Mr. Irvin, 34, announced his retirement from professional
football. Fox Sports said a few days later that Mr. Irvin would work as an
analyst on a Sunday-morning cable show focusing on the NFL.

On a police custody report, Mr. Irvin listed his occupation as
"broadcaster" and his employer as "Fox."

"We don't yet have all the facts, and until we do we have no comment," Fox
sports vice president Lou D'Ermilio said Wednesday.

Mr. Irvin faces a class B misdemeanor charge, police said. That level of
offense can be punished by up to six months in jail and a fine of as much
as $2,000.

The arrest came just weeks after he was able to close the book on his
previous drug troubles. His monthly appointments with a probation officer
ended July 6 -- four years after he pleaded no contest to cocaine
possession. A probation violation could have triggered a 20-year prison
sentence.

The warrant being served Wednesday was part of an ongoing federal-local
investigation called "Operation Mockingbird." The operation was initiated
after the death of Mark Tuinei, another former Cowboy who overdosed on
heroin last year in Plano.

In May, 17 suspected heroin and cocaine dealers were arrested on conspiracy
charges. They were accused of operating a pair of drug rings that supplied
the fatal doses to Mr. Tuinei, among others.

Officer Duke said Wednesday's arrest warrant "had nothing to do with the
Tuinei investigation."

Mr. Irvin is one of the most accomplished NFL wide receivers in history and
played on three Super Bowl championship teams over his 12-year career with
the Cowboys. His retirement prompted discussion about his possible
induction into the Hall of Fame.

Several members of the Cowboys organization urged the media and fans not to
condemn Mr. Irvin before hearing all of the facts. Most members of the
coaching staff shook their heads in disbelief upon hearing the news.

"It just deflates me," Cowboys special teams coach Joe Avezzano said. "It
just makes me numb. You can't help but love the guy. You just want him to
do good."

Members of the Cowboys public relations department informed players about
the arrest as they left practice.

"It's a shame. You would think that he didn't make a bad decision like
that, but when you see the FBI and stuff like that, that doesn't look
good," linebacker Darren Hambrick said. "I'm still pretty sure everything
is in order, but you never want those accusations, especially with the
profession he was going into. ... It's bad because we really don't know
what happened."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reacted to the news by saying, "I don't know
anything about it. We'll take a look at it. I just would remind us all that
Michael has been a victim of false allegations before. ... I'm going to be
very sensitive, very careful about how I come to any conclusions."

Mr. Jones was referring to a 1996 incident in which a female friend of Mr.
Irvin's accused him of holding a gun to her head while Cowboys teammate
Erik Williams raped her. Nina Shahravan recanted her rape allegation less
than two weeks later.

That came on the heels of his prior arrest on drug charges and fueled a
frenzy of negative publicity surrounding his involvement with exotic
dancers and illegal drugs -- as well as possible witness tampering.

Around the same time, details were revealed of a bizarre murder-for-hire
plot against the football star. Dallas police Officer Johnnie Hernandez was
charged with hiring a hit man to kill Mr. Irvin because the football player
had allegedly threatened his girlfriend, Rachelle Marie Smith. Ms. Smith
was a topless dancer who was scheduled to testify against Mr. Irvin in his
drug trial. Mr. Hernandez pleaded guilty to solicitation of capital murder
and was released from prison in December 1998 after serving 2 1/2 years.

Shortly after Wednesday's arrest, a crowd of neighbors gathered near the
third-floor apartment. Apartment resident Bryan Boatright, 29, said he saw
police start arriving at the apartment about 4:15 p.m. and then bring Mr.
Irvin down about 6 p.m.

"As they were coming down the stairs, Michael Irvin's head was down," Mr.
Boatright said. "I could hear him shouting from the [FBI] car window."

Mr. Boatright said he couldn't hear what Mr. Irvin said. He and other
residents said they've frequently seen Mr. Irvin's car at the complex, but
they didn't know whom he was visiting.

The North Texas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force includes
representatives from the Collin County and Denton County sheriff's
departments; police departments in Allen, McKinney, Sherman and Plano; and
agents with the DEA and FBI. Investigators said they chose to take Mr.
Irvin and Ms. Adham to the Plano jail because it was convenient.

Mr. Irvin became synonymous with the Cowboys' return to glory in the 1990s.
He joined quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith to form one
of the NFL's most potent offensive troikas. They led the Cowboys to Super
Bowl titles in 1992, 1993 and 1995.

He finished his career ranked among the NFL's top 10 in yards and catches.
He also tied for third all-time with seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons and
47 100-yard games.

Staff writers Kendall Anderson, Dave Michaels, Wendy Hundley, Bill Nichols,
Kim Horner, Jean-Jacques Taylor and Barry Horn contributed to this report.
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