Former Ohio State and NFL linebacker Darron Lee’s legal troubles continue to escalate, as he now faces a felony drug possession charge filed on Sept. 6, according to court records obtained by The Columbus Dispatch.
The 28-year-old Lee was reportedly accused of possessing two bags of white powder — which was later determined in a laboratory to be cocaine — on April 3, the same day authorities arrested him on suspicion of domestic violence at a home in Dublin, Ohio. That day, Dublin Police were called to the home after Lee was accused of punching a female relative multiple times in the head. Police arrested Lee later on April 3, and he remained in Franklin County jail until he posted a $20,000 bond in each case. While Dublin police investigated the alleged crime, Lee’s name also circulated involving a separate domestic violence incident that occurred in the same home on Oct. 17, 2022. That incident, according to court records, involved the mother of Lee’s child. In response to these two events, police ordered Lee to keep his distance from both the female relative and the mother of his child.
Lee’s domestic violence trial was slated for June, but he did not appear in court. This led Judge James Green to issue arrest warrants for the former linebacker, which remain pending. Lee, — who currently resides in Fort Lauderdale, Fla — is scheduled to appear in court for his drug possession charge on Sept. 21.
Court records indicate a request for Lee to be screened for possible acceptance into a drug court program, which will provide him with counseling and other resources. If Lee completes the program, the drug possession charge can be removed from his personal record.
Lee, a New Albany, Ohio native, played for Ohio State from 2013-2015, totaling 146 tackles, 11 sacks and three interceptions. He played a significant role in the Buckeyes’ most recent national championship season in 2014, logging eight tackles and a pass deflection in the team’s 42-20 victory over Oregon in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship. Lee was then drafted by the New York Jets with the 20th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, where he played three seasons with the franchise, a campaign that ended with him being suspended the last four games of the 2018 season for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He finished his career with the Kansas City Chiefs (2019) and Buffalo Bills (2020), where he recorded just 23 tackles.
