Florida viewers of the reality television show “Pawn Stars” might be wondering what Austin Russell, known as Chumlee on the show, will pawn to make his bail. The 33-year-old man has appeared on the show since it debuted on the History Channel in 2009. Fame, however, has not insulated him from the scrutiny of law enforcement. While investigating a sexual assault, Las Vegas police authorities obtained a search warrant for his home. During the search on March 9, police arrested Russell when they found weapons, marijuana and methamphetamine.
A spokesperson from the police department said that Russell was prohibited from possessing a firearm. In addition to the weapons violation, authorities charged him for drug possession and took him into custody in the Clark County Detention Center. The investigation about the sexual assault continues, but no current charges concerning the alleged assault have been filed against Russell, police said.
The History Channel and Leftfield Pictures, the producer of “Pawn Stars,” have not provided any public comments about the reality star’s arrest. The 12th season of the show completed production on Feb. 24. At the height of the show’s popularity, 7 million people watched the Las Vegas pawn brokers bargain for valuable or weird items.
A conviction on drug charges such as possession can result in serious consequences, including incarceration and fines. Accordingly, a person who is in this situation may want to have the assistance of a criminal defense attorney in combating them. In some cases, such as when it is a defendant’s first offense, an attorney can have the prosecutor agree to an alternative penalty such as the completion of a drug diversion program.
Source: Deadline, “‘Pawn Stars’ Regular Austin ‘Chumlee’ Russell Arrested On Gun & Drug Charges“, Erik Pedersen, March 9, 2016
