Troubled baseball legend Dwight Gooden is once again reportedly facing drug-related criminal charges.
According to the New York Post, the 54-year-old was arrested last month in New Jersey on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of cocaine.
Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Christopher Swendeman said Gooden was pulled over on a highway in Holmdel because an officer observed he was driving to slowly and swerving in a vehicle with illegally tinted windows.
Upon further investigation, officers reported finding “two small green zip-lock style plastic baggies containing suspected cocaine,” leading to the driver’s arrest. He is expected to face charges including possessing a controlled substance in the third degree and possessing drug paraphernalia. The one-time ace could spend up to five years in jail if convicted.
It represents just the latest brush with the law in a rap sheet dating back more than 30 years to his days on the MLB mound.
The Cy Young Award-winning pitcher first tested positive for cocaine during a test in 1987 as part of the New York Mets franchise. A subsequent stint in rehab was on the beginning and Gooden would go on to be arrested on drug charges as well as allegations of domestic battery and reckless driving.
Gooden previously spoke of his widely publicized battles, noting on his 50th birthday that he hadn’t expected to live that long.
“I’ve been to rehabs,” he said. “I’ve been to counseling. I’ve been to jail. I’ve been to prison. The only place I haven’t been yet is the cemetery. That would be my next stop.”
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[Featured image: AP Photo/John Bazemore]
