Authorities swooped in on a house owned by Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson after a package containing 2.5 pounds of California marijuana was allegedly delivered to the home. Investigators found 6 more pounds of pot inside the home, says Michelle Gregory, spokeswoman for the California Department of Justice.
Gregory confirmed the information that CaliforniaWatch.org, a group of investigative journalists, broke on Wednesday after local reporters heard persistent rumors about the incident.
Gregory said Simpson and Bengals teammate Anthony Collins were present when a woman, identified as Aleen Smith, 27, accepted the package Tuesday at Simpson's home. Authorities detained Simpson and Collins, but no one was arrested, Gregory said. Simpson told police he lived at the residence and gave officers consent to search the premises, Gregory said.
Officers also seized drug paraphernalia such as "packaging materials, scales and smoking devices."
"The house was set up as a potential distribution network," Tommy LaNier, head of the National Marijuana Initiative, told CaliforniaWatch. The NMI is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy and helps coordinate marijuana enforcement operations around the United States.
"They had it all set up to receive supplies of high-grade marijuana from Northern California, and from there, it was being distributed from that residence," LaNier said.
About 10 p.m. CT Wednesday, authorities made a "wellness check" on Simpson's Mansion Place residence, according to the Kentucky State Police's Dry Ridge post.
Further details on the incident were not released early Thursday. The case will be addressed later Thursday by the Kenton County Prosecutor's Office, police said.
Gregory told The Enquirer that California authorities routinely track suspected marijuana packages but this is the first time, to her knowledge, a tracked package of marijuana led to the home of an NFL player.
The path leading to Simpson's residence began Sept. 19, Gregory said.
A narcotics unit devoted to detecting and tracking suspected marijuana shipments flagged a package, which originated in Eureka, Calif., at a Sacramento shipping center. California authorities then alerted Kentucky law enforcement agencies about the package, and they kept an eye on it while it was delivered, Gregory said.
Gregory wouldn't describe what characteristics of the package aroused suspicions.
As of late Wednesday, authorities were still trying to figure out what agency could handle a possible prosecution and what happens next. She said an investigation was continuing. Any of a number of federal, local or state agencies in California or Kentucky could take over the case, she said.
Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said the team was aware of the reports but did not offer any other comments.
Neither player is from California. Both Collins, from Texas, and Simpson, from North Carolina, are in their fourth years with the Bengals. Simpson was drafted in the second round in 2008 and has emerged as one of the team's starting wide receivers. He had a career-high 136 yards on four receptions in last Sunday's loss at Denver.
Collins, a fourth-round pick, did not play in the Denver game. Listed as a backup left tackle, he has started 16 games during his career.
Under NFL rules, both Collins and Simpson could be subject to discipline under the league's substance abuse and personal conduct policies. Drug testing was suspended during the league's lockout but restarted when it ended in late July.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that violations of law when drugs are concerned would make both players subject to discipline under both policies.
Calls to Collins' and Simpson's agents were not returned.
However, both Simpson and Collins did participate in Wednesday's practice in preparation for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers.
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