“Pawn Stars” star Austin Lee Russell, known to fans as Chumley, plans to plead guilty to drug and gun charges stemming from a police raid on his Las Vegas home in March.
Russell reportedly agreed to plead guilty to possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of attempted possession of a weapon by an unauthorized person. If convicted, Russell faces up to five years in prison. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Russell plans to plead guilty to a charge of possession of a controlled substance. A second felony weapons charge will be dropped as part of the plea deal. In addition to three years of probation, Russell must surrender any weapons and drugs in his possession to police. And that person needs to get treatment. Police arrested Russell on March 9 after finding 12 firearms, a kilogram of marijuana and a small amount of methamphetamine. Police went to Russell’s home to investigate a sexual assault. According to Fox News, criminal charges against Russell, 33, will be dismissed if he stays out of the loop. Otherwise, you face 2 to 5 years in prison. He was not charged in the assault case despite being released on $62,000 bail.
Russell arrives in court to plead his case to the media. Police also found prescription Xanax pills in Russell’s home.
Russell’s attorney, David Chesnoff, said in a statement that the results of the investigation and the legality of the search will be reviewed in court. “Austin Russell and I have great faith in the judicial system and are optimistic that this case will be resolved.”
Russell, 33, was arrested after police raided his Las Vegas home. A sexual assault investigation led to the raid, but Russell was not charged in the case. However, he was charged with 19 firearms and drug offences. He was released on bail. According to sources, Russell was known for throwing wild parties. Insider had several guns and smoked a lot of marijuana. The History Channel, the network that airs Pawn Stars, declined to comment on the situation last week, but said it was letting the justice system take its course for now.