Charges dropped against suspended Syracuse wide receiver
UPDATED: Oct. 27, 2011, 12:45 a.m.
The felony drug charges against suspended Syracuse wide receiver Marcus Sales have been dropped, defense lawyer Michael Vavonese said Wednesday.
Sales faced charges of fifth- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of marijuana and violating the city’s open container law.
The charges against Sales have been dropped after an Onondaga County grand jury did not find enough evidence to charge Sales with drug possession, but his brother, Michael Sales Jr., was included in a grand jury indictment Wednesday that accuses him of possessing drugs, according to The Post-Standard.
Vavonese said he only represents Sales, so he could not confirm the indictment of Michael Sales Jr.
Sales had been suspended indefinitely from the Syracuse football team after being arrested and charged with drug possession in July.
Sales is still enrolled as a student at SU, Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs, said in an email. Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone directed questions on Sales to Quinn and the university after the team’s football practice Wednesday night.
Marrone said the team had a meeting after the news broke, and now his focus is on preparing SU for its game against Louisville on Saturday.
‘It’s good for Marcus to have this legal process behind him,’ Marrone said. ‘As you know, the university has a student judicial process. Until that is complete, I cannot discuss any details.’
Vavonese said Sales is ‘very anxious to getting back to returning to school and to the team.’
Sales and his brother were arrested July 29 after they were pulled over for running a red light near Midland Avenue and Ballantyne Road in Syracuse.
Police found 180 Lortab (hydrocodone and acetaminophen) tablets, three knotted pieces of plastic containing a green plant-like substance that tested positive for marijuana, a plastic cup containing gin, three digital scales and other plastic bags.
The grand jury decided there was not enough evidence to prove Sales knowingly possessed drugs, but found enough to indict his brother on charges of fifth- and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of marijuana, according to the article.
The indictment has been sealed, according to the article.
—Sports Editor Michael Cohen and Asst. Sports Editor Mark Cooper contributed reporting to this article.
Published on October 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm
Contact Ryne: rjgery@syr.edu
