Football - Terrence Kiel Pleads Guilty To Drug Char

Terrence Kiel, who is currently playing as safety for Chargers’, has pleaded guilty felony and misdemeanor drug charges for shipping codeine-based cough syrup to Texas. This plea is part of a plea bargain that could allow Kiel to avoid jail time.

Officials of the Drug Enforcement Administration led Kiel off the practice field and arrested him in the locker room on September 26, 2006. According to them, Kiel has admitted that he has shipped two parcels of codeine-based cough syrup to Texas. The prescription cough syrup was being added into soft drinks to make to make a mixture called lean.

There were total of 5 charges that were levied against Kiel and these include felony and transportation of drugs without licenses. On these, Kiel pleaded guilty before the court. In a plea bargain, Kiel has been ordered to do 100 hours of volunteer service, which includes talking to youngsters on the ill effects of banned substances and undergoing counseling for gambling.

Kiel originally faced five counts. He pleaded guilty to felony transportation of a controlled substance and to misdemeanor furnishing dangerous drugs without a license. The other four original charges were dropped against Kiel. San Diego County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sontag said that if Kiel does the volunteer work, undergoes counseling for gambling and talks to youngsters about the effects of using drugs before August 7, 2007 and does not break any more laws, then the felony charges would be dropped against him.

Kiel’s Attorney Bob Grimes feels that the punishment given to Kiel is apt for the offence committed. He feels that although codeine is a controlled substance, the quantity in the cough syrup was just 2 percent, which is negligible.

During all this, Chargers’ general manager A J Smith said that it is up to Kiel to deal with his legal problems and the team has nothing to do in it. He did not comment whether the legal trouble would have any effect on Kiel’s career with the Chargers. Kiel is under contract with the Chargers right through 2008.