Former Trojan Charged with Los Angeles Drug CrimePosted on: May 26, 2010 at 6:08 p.m.Kevin Ellison, current San Diego Charger and former USC Trojan, was pulled over and arrested in Redondo Beach for possession of prescription drugs. Ellison was arrested for a Los Angeles Drug Crime when an officer found dozens of Vicodin tablets in his car. He was initially pulled over for speeding in a school zone where he consented to the search of his car. Inside the vehicle, police found roughly 100 Vicodin pills, which allegedly far exceeds any amount a doctor would prescribe. The Los Angeles Drug Crime Ellison was actually charged with was suspicion of possession of a controlled substance. He was released on $10,000 bail. Ellison was a standout on defense at USC where he played for four seasons. He started nine games as a rookie for the San Diego Chargers, making 59 tackles. He is currently 23 years old. Many Los Angeles Drug Crimes involve such unlawful narcotics as heroin, LSD, cocaine, crack and marijuana. However, there is a growing emphasis on such prescription pharmaceuticals as Vicodin, OxcyContin and others. The penalties for Los Angeles Drug Crimes include imprisonment, large fines, restitution, community service, probation and more. If you are in possession of a large amount of drugs, whether lawful pharmaceuticals or unlawful narcotics, you could be charged with “intent to distribute." Many distribution crimes are felonies, leading to mandatory jail sentences and other serious penalties. With such life altering penalties involved in any Los Angeles Drug Crime charge, only a skilled Los Angeles criminal defense attorney can be hired. A skilled lawyer will know the law, the courts and how to craft the best defense possible for anyone charged with a drug offense. Los Angeles Drug Crime penalties are severe, and with the state’s need for larger revenue, he fines could quickly increase and create a financial burden upon the convicted. At Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin, LLP our Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys can provide the kind of legal representation necessary to steer clear of penalties and fines. If you or someone you love has been charged with, arrested for or accused of a Los Angeles Drug Crime, contact the Los Angeles criminal defense attorneys at our offices today at 877-781-1570. Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP is a criminal defense law firm that has been helping clients throughout Southern California contest their criminal charges and obtain superior results for years. Our skilled drug crimes attorneys have over 50 years of collective court room experience and we are fully prepared to undertake our clients’ cases. Tagged as: los angeles drug crimes defense attorney Comments:Omid Rahnamay-Vaghef on June 16, 2010 at 7:33 a.m. wrote:It seems as though both the allegation and that charge are very vague. The article states that the amount of Vicodin pills found in his car allegedly exceed the amount a doctor would describe; however, he can argue that he has been rationing his consumption of the drug and that, over time, they've piled up. Also, as far as his intent to distribute is concerned, it can be argued that some with his financial wealth and social fame does not need to make money off of the distribution of drugs. Artyom Baghdishyan on June 8, 2010 at 2:08 p.m. wrote: Since he was not carrying an illegal substance per se, there should be some leniency possibly about ignorance of laws that prohibit carrying this drug in the quantity that he did. If he truly did not know that carrying Vicodin in that large quantity is a crime, he should perhaps be excused. It is one thing to carry an excessive amount of cocaine or heroin and it is another thing to carry Vicodin in excessive quantity. Artyom Baghdishyan on June 8, 2010 at 2:07 p.m. wrote: Since he was not carrying an illegal substance per se, there should be some leniency possibly about ignorance of laws that prohibit carrying this drug in the quantity that he did. If he truly did not know that carrying Vicodin in that large quantity is a crime, he should perhaps be excused. It is one thing to carry an excessive amount of cocaine or heroin and it is another thing to carry Vicodin in excessive quantity. Sarah Rahman on June 8, 2010 at 1:57 a.m. wrote: This case is interesting because, as argued earlier, Ellison could claim that he was prescribed the pills for pain as associated with his profession. Unfortunately, 100 pills is too excessive. One student said that Ellison could claim that another appointment to the doctor was unnecessary and therefore got 100 pills. But no rational doctor would ever give a 23 year old 100 vicodin pills. It's also interesting because Ellison is a professional athlete and although vicodin is not by any means a steroid, the fact that he was found with such an excessive amount of pills suggests he could have some involvement with steroids. IF not, Ellison is still liable for charges of intent to distribute and should face jail time. Stephanie Aneson on June 2, 2010 at 6:01 p.m. wrote: I agree with each of the comments above about refusing the search of his vehicle. I also wonder if Ellison has any prior convictions of drug-related charges. If not, I think that he should be allowed some kind of leniency for being a first time offender. I know that athletes are often given special treatment in the court of law and I think that this crime is a lot less serious than those committed by certain other Trojan athletes who have gotten off in the past. Christine Au on May 31, 2010 at 5:31 p.m. wrote: In retrospect, there are steps that Kevin Ellison could have avoided this trial. Because he was pulled over for speeding, he had the option of refusing to have his car searched. Are there any adverse consequences in refusing to do so? Is it in his right to do so? If so, he would have been able to return home and stash or hide his Vicodin and be rid of his crimes. While I do understand the seriousness that drug crimes are in LA, Vicodin is not an illegal drug. Mark Brooks on May 31, 2010 at 5:12 p.m. wrote: In looking at this situation, the number of perscription pills in Ellison's posession could be under the number used to determine an intent to distribute. If Ellison has a prescription for the Vicodin, he may just not have needed the pills at the time they were perscribed. Being a football player for many years Ellison most likely has long standing injuries that can cause sporadic bouts of extreme pain and discomfort, especially from his recent knee surgery. Also, the search of his car, although allowed by him at the time, could be looked at as unlawful in nature due to the reasoning behind the request to search his car. Why would the officers ask to search his car for the simple speeding violation? His race may or may not have been a factor in the officers decision to ask, and even if Ellison had declined, the officers would have most likely become overly interested and taken him to the station. Mark Brooks on May 31, 2010 at 5:11 p.m. wrote: In looking at this situation, the number of perscription pills in Ellison's posession could be under the number used to determine an intent to distribute. If Ellison has a prescription for the Vicodin, he may just not have needed the pills at the time they were perscribed. Being a football player for many years Ellison most likely has long standing injuries that can cause sporadic bouts of extreme pain and discomfort, especially from his recent knee surgery. Also, the search of his car, although allowed by him at the time, could be looked at as unlawful in nature due to the reasoning behind the request to search his car. Why would the officers ask to search his car for the simple speeding violation? His race may or may not have been a factor in the officers decision to ask, and even if Ellison had declined, the officers would have most likely become overly interested and taken him to the station. Christine Au on May 31, 2010 at 4:22 p.m. wrote: In retrospect, there are steps that Kevin Ellison could have avoided this trial. Because he was pulled over for speeding, he had the option of refusing to have his car searched. Are there any adverse consequences in refusing to do so? Is it in his right to do so? If so, he would have been able to return home and stash or hide his Vicodin and be rid of his crimes. While I do understand the seriousness that drug crimes are in LA, Vicodin is not an illegal drug. Christine Au on May 31, 2010 at 4:20 p.m. wrote: I don’t see why he couldn’t be acquitted of these charges by simply stating that these were prescribed to him for pain following an injury of some sort and that the reason he had such a profuse amount is because he did not find it to be efficient to take multiple trips to the doctor for pain medication that he was sure that he would need. In fact, this is negligent on the “doctor” or whoever was the source of these 100 Vicodin pills. Peter Tran UCLA 419 on May 27, 2010 at 7:28 p.m. wrote: First, i would like to say I'm not surprised this particular individual is a Trojan... Now that the school bashing is out of the way, what is odd to me is that like the last several athletes ( Kiel, from the chargers again is another example) who have been caught for possession have all had pharmaceuticals. Should athletes be allowed some leniency given their professions, which does take a serious toll on the body? What i found most interesting though is that Ellison gave consent for the officer to search his vehicle. Not that the NFL should promote illegal behavior, but all rookies should be made privy to a legal workshop in their first year in the league just so they know their rights, in the event it is necessary that they exercise them. Ellison would have avoided a big headache had he known he could have told the officer no. Kestenbaum Eisner & Gorin LLP has been recognized as one of the best U.S. law firms, based on the experience, professionalism, and ethics of its criminal defense lawyers and attorneys. 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