Gregory Robinson, an NFL player with the Cleveland Browns, was set to become a free agent in March, but instead, he is now facing federal charges of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute marijuana. He and a former teammate are being held without bond in an El Paso jail.

Robinson, an offensive tackle who played for the Browns during the last two NFL seasons, was not busted for a small amount of marijuana, which is still illegal in Texas. According to a Department of Justice news release, Robinson (27 years old) and his former college teammate Jaquan Bray were found to be transporting 157 pounds of marijuana stashed in duffle bags in the trunk of a car they were driving. Robinson and Bray had played football together at Auburn, and Bray had played a few seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. 

Road Trip from Los Angeles to Louisiana

Robinson rented a car and hired an Uber driver—someone he had met in 2018 and who often ran errands for Robinson and Robinson's friends and family—to drive him and Bray to Louisiana. When the trio reached El Paso, Bray took over driving the vehicle. Somewhere in west Texas, a U.S. Border Patrol canine detected the scent of marijuana as the vehicle passed them on I-10, so the drug-sniffing dog's handler called ahead to the Sierra Blanca Checkpoint Station. Agents there stopped the vehicle for an inspection, leading them to find the duffle bags full of marijuana, as well as glass jars, packaging equipment, and a little over $3,000 in cash.

The Uber driver, who has not been identified as yet, showed Border Patrol agents an exchange of text messages between them and Robinson. Robinson offered to pay the Uber driver to claim the marijuana as theirs, but the Uber driver had refused and said they would not have agreed to drive at all if they had known drugs were in the car. The Uber driver has not been charged in this incident.

Intent to Distribute

The sheer amount of marijuana that the agents found in Robinson's car—157 pounds—and the fact that there were glass jars and packaging material found with the drugs, led to the charge of possession with intent to distribute. Recreational marijuana users in Washington normally do not carry more than a few ounces of marijuana on them at one time, let alone a hundred pounds. In fact, even possessing more than one ounce of marijuana can result in a misdemeanor, and possessing 40 grams or more of marijuana is a felony and could cost you up to five years in jail.

Drug Defense Attorney

If convicted, Robinson and Bray could face up to twenty years in federal prison, which would definitively end Robinson's professional career. If you are facing drug possession charges, your career could come to an end, too. You will need a drug defense attorney who will fight to have the evidence in your case suppressed, and who has a proven track record of success. Contact the Law Offices of Steve Karimi today to learn how you can fight the charges you are facing.