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Any hopes of Alabama Crimson Tide basketball star Aden Holloway returning to the team in time to aid their March Madness run may well have just gone out the window thanks to new evidence submitted by prosecutors.
ESPN’s Myron Medcalf reports that prosecutors allege to have found evidence of “drug transactions” while searching Holloway’s phone following an arrest Monday on a felony drug charge.
Holloway was allegedly found with 2.1 pounds of marijuana at his apartment in addition to drug paraphernalia. Although he told officers at the scene that he “only smokes” and does not sell or distribute the drugs.
In theory, that could be a plausible explanation if Holloway were purchasing marijuana in bulk and smoked alongside his friends and teammates over the course of a year.
However, the new evidence against him may make it hard to support that viewpoint.
Police May Have Found A Smoking Gun In Case Against Aden Holloway
In addition to the drugs they recovered, police also seized $400 in cash from Holloway at the time of his arrest. Prosecutors now claim they believe that the money was obtained through selling marijuana.
“The money is being seized due to seeing drug transactions on Holloway’s phone, with people texting that they were going to get up with him after the season,” prosecutors said in a complaint filed Friday. “Holloway had smaller denominations in his possession, which is indicative of narcotic sales. The marijuana was in separate packing, from plastic bags to prepackaged marijuana to vacuum-sealed bags.”
Meanwhile, Holloway’s attorney, Jason Neff, says police broke the law by searching his apartment to begin with.
“In review of the probable cause [search warrant], once this case moves forward, we would challenge the basis of the search with a motion to suppress evidence for the violation of his Fourth Amendment rights,” Neff said.
It’s entirely possible, perhaps even likely, that Holloway ends up with some sort of plea agreement that keeps everyone happy and him out of jail. But his days playing basketball for the Crimson Tide sure seem like they’re behind him.