A notice of accusation has been filed by the Banks County District Attorney’s office against Hawks forward Mike Scott following his arrest on felony drug charges in July.
Such a notice is a formal criminal charge against a person alleged to have committed an offense punishable by law which is presented before a court. No arraignment date has been set for Scott, who could waive his right to the hearing.
The case was not presented to a grand jury.
Scott faces up to 25 years in prison on two felony drug charges. He was arrested, along with his younger brother, on July 30 after a traffic stop along I-85 in Homer. In the vehicle, police found 35.2 grams of marijuana and 10.9 grams of Schedule I drug MDMA, known as Molly.
The charge on the MDMA carries a sentence of up to 15 years. The charge on the marijuana carries a sentence of up to 10 years, according to Georgia statutes. The drugs were sent to an independent lab for verification and the results have been returned to the District Attorney’s office ahead of the filing of the notice of accusation.
Scott consented to an interview with police after being arrested. According to the incident report from the Banks County Sheriff’s Office, Scott told police that the drugs located in the vehicle belonged to him, that his brother was unaware and that he “takes full responsibility for the drugs.”
According to the report, deputies attempted to stop a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by Antonn Scott for following too closely to other vehicles at 9 a.m. The vehicle failed to yield to police and reached a speed of up to 98 mph. The vehicle traveled for two miles before the driver stopped for police. After the drugs were found, the two were arrested and taken to the Banks County Sheriff’s Office Law Enforcement Center.
Mike Scott said his brother did not immediately pull over for police because he was on his cellphone and unaware of the traffic stop. Scott told police “There’s some weed in there” upon being stopped, according to the incident report.
Antonn Scott also consented to an interview with police following the arrest. According to the incident report, when questioned about the drugs, he said that he did not use drugs. He added he knew his brother used marijuana, but knew nothing about the MDMA.
The Hawks have said they will not comment on the case.
Scott could face disciplinary action from the Hawks and the NBA. There has not been an NBA player arrested on felony drug charges recently for precedent on a possible suspension. Raymond Felton was suspended for the first four games two years ago after he pleaded guilty to gun charges, two of which were felonies at the time of his arrest.
Scott just finished his fourth season with the Hawks after he was selected in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft out of Virginia. This season, Scott averaged 6.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 15.3 minutes while appearing in 75 games.
Scott earned $3.3 million last season after he re-signed with the Hawks in August 2014. The Hawks have a team option for $3.3 million for next season. The contract would be guaranteed if the option is not declined by July 10.
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