More Details On Jeff Hardy's Arrest: Fan Provided Drugs, Reduced Sentence
Jeff Hardy pled guilty this week to two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver a controlled substance and a single count of conspiracy to traffic in a substance containing opium, all felonies, pending from his September 11, 2009 arrest.
Hardy was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 30 months of probation and a $100,000 fine as a part of a plea deal that was reached. FayObserver.com has new details of the arrest, reporting that Hardy's prison sentence of 20-33 months was suspended on the condition that he continue to attend an outpatient drug-counseling program and comply with the terms of his 30 month probation period. Prosecutors also initially sought to have Hardy serve a 30 day sentence, however the judge sentenced him to 10, to be served at a time set by his probation officer. Other charges, including trafficking in opium by possession, possession of cocaine and maintaining a dwelling for keeping and selling controlled substances were dropped as part of the deal.
James Van Camp, Hardy's lawyer, said that Hardy began to use drugs to cope with the pain from wrestling and called the profession "physically demanding and violent." He stated that a fan, Thomas Ray Cruz, met Hardy after a match in Florida and offered to supply him with prescription pain pills.
Cruz packaged the pills in a Maxwell House coffee can and addressed and shipped the pills to Hardy on Sept. 10, 2009. Employees at the FedEx distribution center in Fayetteville, NC found the package suspicious and called police. The contents of the can were revealed to contain 262 prescription hydrocodone painkillers.
Police then resealed the package and had it delivered to Hardy with the pills intact. Hardy accepted the package, prompting Moore County sheriff's deputies to raid his house, where other drugs were found.
Van Camp noted that Hardy has tested negative for drugs since his arrest and has been cooperative with police. He believes that Hardy is judged more harshly due to his celebrity, which Van Camp noted that Hardy has used to do positive work, like his visits for the the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Cruz, now 31, is free on $50,000 bond after being arrested in Kissimmee, Fla. in November 2010 on charges of conspiracy to traffic in opium and two counts of trafficking in opium. He returns to court in November.
Van Camp requested that Jeff be allowed to travel outside of North Carolina to work for TNA, and the request was granted.
Source: FayObserver.com
Ryan Clark contributed to this article.