Jeff Hardy Pleads Guilty to Drug Charges, Gets 10 Days in Jail

Professional wrestling star Jeff Hardy was sentenced today to 10 days in jail, 30 months of probation and a $100,000 fine as part of a plea deal that will keep him out of prison. The start date of the jail sentence will be arranged at a future date with his probation officer.

Hardy, 34, who lives in the 200 block of Boys Camp Road in Cameron, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver a controlled substance and a single count of conspiracy to traffic in a substance containing opium, all felonies.

Hardy was arrested Sept. 11, 2009, in a raid on his home and charged with several felony drug counts including trafficking in opium by possession, possession of cocaine, maintaining a dwelling for keeping and selling controlled substances, and two counts of possession with intent to sell a controlled substance.

As a result of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped the other charges but said he must remain in a dug abuse treatment program.



Assistant District Attorney Warren McSweeney said the raid came after employees at a Fayetteville FedEx distribution center called police about a suspicious package. The package was addressed to Hardy from a fan in Florida. It contained a Maxwell House coffee can filled with 262 prescription hydrocodone pain killers.

Police resealed the package and had the pills delivered to Hardy at his home. When he accepted the package, Moore County sheriff's deputies raided the house and found other drugs, as well.

Hardy's lawyer, James Van Camp of Pinehurst, said Hardy got involved with the pills to cope with the pain and damage to his body that he endured as a professional wrestler.

Until recently, Hardy was the top star of Impact Wrestling, formerly Total Nonstop Action wrestling.

Hardy remains on the company's roster, and Van Camp asked Superior Court Judge Joseph Turner to allow his client to travel outside of North Carolina and the country to continue his work.

Turner granted the request.

sources: fayobserver.com & the pilot newspaper