DEA: Ex-Browns LT Robinson had 157 lbs. of pot
NFL offensive tackle Greg Robinson was being held Wednesday in a Texas jail on a pending drug distribution charge, records show.
Robinson, 27, a former Auburn standout who played for the Cleveland Browns last season, was booked by the Drug Enforcement Administration on Tuesday after federal agents said they found 157 pounds of marijuana in a rented vehicle in which he and two other people were riding.
Robinson and Jaquan Tyreke Bray, 26, were charged with possessing marijuana with the intention to sell, according to El Paso County jail records. Bray also played college football at Auburn and spent three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official confirmed.
Both were held without bond pending an initial appearance before a U.S. magistrate judge.
If convicted, both could be sentenced to up to 20 years in federal prison.
According to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday by the DEA, Robinson, Bray and an unidentified third person were driving from Los Angeles to Louisiana in a rented sport utility vehicle on Interstate 10 through a remote section of West Texas on Monday. When they passed a Border Patrol agent with a drug-sniffing dog, the dog detected the scent of marijuana. The agent radioed ahead to the patrol’s checkpoint in near Sierra Blanca, Texas, 83 miles southeast of El Paso.
There, the patrol stopped and inspected the vehicle, finding several large duffel bags containing vacuum-sealed black bags containing what tested positive as marijuana, the complaint stated. Also found were glass jars and packaging equipment, along with $3,100 in cash.
Agents said the unidentified passenger was an Uber driver who also drove and ran errands for Robinson and his family and friends. The passenger showed agents cellphone texts that showed Robinson had offered to pay the passenger to claim ownership of the marijuana, according to the complaint. The texts showed the passenger refused and would not have made the trip if aware of the drugs in the vehicle. The person was not charged.
The Rams selected Robinson with the second overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, and he started the past two seasons at left tackle for the Browns.
Last season, Robinson was benched for one game and missed another due to a concussion.
According to a team source, the Browns had already conveyed to Robinson that they would not re-sign him this offseason. Cleveland has a new coach, Kevin Stefanski, and new general manager, Andrew Berry.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.