Jim Irsay: Indianapolis Colts Owner Facing Felony Charges

Jim Irsay, the owner and CEO of NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, faces four felony counts for possession of a controlled substance, along with a preliminary misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxica...
Jim Irsay: Indianapolis Colts Owner Facing Felony Charges
Written by Val Powell

Jim Irsay, the owner and CEO of NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, faces four felony counts for possession of a controlled substance, along with a preliminary misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated. The charges against Irsay were confirmed by Deputy Bryant Orem of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department.

The Colts owner was pulled over on Sunday night after roadside police observed him driving slowly near his residence in Carmel, Indianapolis. He also stopped in the roadway and failed to use a turn signal. He was given several sobriety tests that he failed, prompting police to arrest him.

A vehicle search also tuned up multiple prescription drugs. The police also found drugs that were not associated with the prescription bottles inside the vehicle.

Irsay was released from the Hamilton Country Jail the following day after posting $22,500 bail. His hearing is scheduled for March 26.

Friends of Irsay, and even some Colts insiders, have long known about his struggle with drugs, and have tried to get him into rehab. They even tried to persuade him to get a driver to keep him away from being behind the wheel, but Irsay would have none of it. He dismissed their concerns, even if it was physically obvious that something serious was going on. To explain his 60-pound weight loss, Irsay insisted that his doctors wanted him to lose weight for the good of his hip and back.

In a tweet Irsay posted in October 2013, he said that doesn’t drink, and hasn’t done so in 15 years. He had also overcome his dependence on painkillers after his orthopedic operations after undergoing therapy. The plastic surgeon who used to write Irsay’s painkiller prescriptions no longer treats him, and the pharmacy he used to get his medications from says that Irsay has not been a customer since his treatment.

In November, Irsay’s wife Meg filed for divorce after 33 years of marriage and 10 years of being separated. They have three daughters.

Image via YouTube

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