NEW YORK, Jan 14 ― A cocaine possession charge against New England Patriots defensive star Patrick Chung was conditionally dismissed yesterday under an agreement requiring him to undergo regular drug testing and meet other obligations.
Andrew Livernois, the county attorney in Belknap County, New Hampshire, announced the resolution of a case in which Chung was indicted on August 22 last year.
He faced a felony charge of cocaine possession in connection with an incident in June, when police were called to Chung's residence and found the drugs.
The charge cold have carried a prison sentence of more than three years, but Livernois said both parties had agreed to resolve the matter.
If Chung fails to meet the stated conditions, “the State has the right to reinstate the charges in this case and prosecute him that time,” Livernois said.
Under the agreement Chung cannot commit any crimes or major motor vehicle offenses for two years.
He will be subjected to a drug test once a month for the first year and every 90 days after that for the remainder of the two-year period.
Chung will perform 40 hours of community service that will be connected to drug abuse and prevention.
The fourth condition is that Chung agrees to waive his right to a speedy trial in the case.
Livernois said prosecutors took four main factors into consideration in reaching the resolution: That Chung had no prior criminal record, that he was fully cooperative, the drug amount allegedly found in his possession was small, and experts concluded he didn't need substance abuse treatment.
Chung, who was a key part of the Patriots teams that won Super Bowls in 2015, 2017 and 2019, could still be disciplined by the NFL.
He played in 13 games in the 2019 season. ― AFP
