An NBA player and former Marion basketball standout has been implicated in an Indianapolis drug investigation.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a trusted police informant identified Memphis Grizzlies player Zach Randolph as a major marijuana supplier in Indianapolis, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
Narcotics officers were staking out a suspected drug house on Indianapolis' north side two weeks ago when they pulled over Arthur Boyd, 32, soon after he left the residence, near 75th Street and Binford Avenue, police said.
According to the affidavit, the Cadillac Escalade that Boyd was driving was registered to Randolph, and police found marijuana and ammunition stowed inside.
"One of his vehicles had what we call hidden compartments that contained suspected narcotics, that being marijuana," said Lt. Jeff Duhamell.
Based on information found in the Escalade, police later raided a northeast side storage facility, where they said Randolph rents four lockers.
According to the affidavit, a police K-9 alerted to controlled substances in two of the four units, and police found more cars with secret compartments inside.
Duhamell said he had been unaware Randolph was implicated in the investigation.
"Whether he is a specific target, that I don't know," he said. "But looking at his ownership of the vehicles, he should be aware of whose driving and operating them and possessing illegal narcotics in his vehicles. That in and of itself brings up questions."
The police informant is also quoted in the affidavit as having told investigators that Randolph was known to provide individuals with expensive cars and access to his Geist Reservoir waterfront home.
Randolph's attorney, John Tompkins, told 6News Wednesday evening that Boyd worked for his client, and that Randolph is not connected to any drug activity.
"He is not in any way whatsoever involved in any kind of drug ring," Tompkins said. "He's beside himself, because he has made a concerted effort to get a better image."
Tompkins said Randolph's vehicle has secret compartments as a safety precaution for concealing valuables, that police have told him the vehicles are in the process of being released and that the Grizzlies will release a statement on Thursday in support of Randolph.
Randolph has a long criminal history. He was convicted of battery and sentenced to house arrest in 1997, and spent time in a juvenile detention center in 1999 for selling a stolen gun.
Three years later, he was arrested on charges of underage drinking, and faced charges in Portland after police said they could smell marijuana coming from his car.
Randolph's latest arrest was in 2009 on charges of drunken driving in Los Angeles.
The high school basketball star grew up in Marion and attended Marion High School, where he helped lead his team to the 2000 Class 4A State Championship.
After playing one season at Michigan State University, Randolph was drafted in the first round by the Portland Blazers and went on to play with the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in July of 2009.
