Published: July 02, 2009 01:31 pm      

Football player pleads to misdemeanor

By Randy Mitchell

Staff Writer



ADA — A former Ada High School football player arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school recently pleaded guilty.

Assistant District Attorney Jim Tillison said Colton Richardson, 18, received a lesser charge after making an agreement with prosecutors.

Tillison said normally possession of a controlled drug near a school is considered very serious and would warrant a felony charge, but since Richardson had such a small amount and was willing to assist with an unrelated case, he was charged with a misdemeanor.

“We reached and agreement with Richardson that we would file a misdemeanor marijuana case with certain conditions,” Tillison said. “(The conditions are) that he would provide cooperation and assistance on an unrelated matter that we believed he had information about.”

Tillison said what was allegedly found in Richardson’s automobile ashtray was what is called “shake”, stems, ashes, paper residue, etc.

“This was marijuana that was primarily ashes,” Tillison said. “He couldn’t have taken it out and smoked it, he couldn’t have distributed it and that’s the primary intent of what that statute is for making it a felony.”

Tillison said Richardson was given a one-year deferred sentence and will be under district attorney supervision, must report monthly and pay a little more than $1,000 in fines.

“Now, with that said, some of the conditions that are in the misdemeanor marijuana case have not been fulfilled as of yet,” Tillison said. “He hasn’t fulfilled the agreement that he had so I wouldn’t say he’s completely in the clear.”

If Richardson does not cooperate with prosecutors, it would violate the conditions of the misdemeanor.

“We could file an application to accelerate his deferred sentence and convert that into a conviction and could subject him to the possibility of some jail time,” Tillison said. “It would (also) subject him to inclusion in the other investigation that he was to provide assistance to.”

Ada Police Detective Jeff Crosby said the arrest is a piece of an investigation into drug activity at the Ada Junior High and Ada High School which is ongoing.

Richardson, a 6-foot-4, 225 pound linebacker, signed to play football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys in February.