OO Column: Online Onslaught by Rick Scaia (Pro Wrestling News, Analysis, and Commentary... WWE, WWF, WCW, ECW, The Rock, Brock Lesnar, Triple H, Rob Van Dam, Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Trish Stratus, Lita, Stacy Keibler, Divas, RAW, SmackDown, WrestleMania

ONLINE ONSLAUGHT
NEWSFLASH: Jeff Hardy Arrested on Multiple Drug-Related Charges
September 11, 2009 / Updated: Tuesday Afternoon, 9/15

by Rick Scaia
Exclusive to OOWrestling.com

The Pilot Newspaper (a small paper serving multiple small rural communities located equidistant and about 25 miles south of both Greensboro and Raleigh-Durham) is reported that Jeff Hardy was arrested at his home in Cameron, NC, on Friday afternoon on multiple drug charges.

Hardy, who just severed his relationship with WWE 11 days ago, had been fired from WWE once due to drug issues back in 2003 and had two "strikes" against him due to failed tests under the WWE Wellness Policy since his return to the company in 2006. His most recent suspension came in March of this year, and cost him his chance to perform at WrestleMania. He was suspended for 60 days and had to complete a mandatory rehab program.

A third failed test would have necessitated Hardy's firing from the company. Since this arrest comes after Hardy left WWE, and nothing can be proven about what Jeff may or may not have been doing while still in WWE's employ other than his two test failures, today's developments will not in any way count against Jeff in terms of the WWE Wellness Program or his future employability.

However, it will count greatly in the Court Of Public Opinion, and it certainly counts towards clarifying Jeff's overall attitude and health issues. He left WWE to take time off from the rigid structure there and to pursue his "other hobbies."

We now have a greater understanding of just what might count as Jeff's most favorite hobby. And it's upsetting. That, in turn MIGHT affect Jeff's future employability in the sense that fans' perceptions of the guy may finally turn from "experimental free spirit" to "what a fricking addict" with this latest turn of events. And there's not alot about that kind of personality that WWE would want to be affiliated with. That's not to say they'd never be in business together again... it's just to say that, no matter how forgiving one might be and no matter if Jeff might finally take it upon himself to get straightened out, his next chance isn't his proverbial "Second Chance." It'd be more like his fourth or fifth.

You DO run out of those, eventually.

For the record, what we know with certainty is that Jeff has been arrested on one misdemeanor and five felony charges. Authorities found 262 Vicodin pills, 180 Soma pills, 555 milliliters of an anabolic steroid, undefined amounts of illegal drugs (cocaine, and according to one report, opium, too), and various drug paraphenalia in Hardy's house when they "raided" it today.

Three of the charges are possession charges, but three of the felonies are actually Drug Trafficking charges. This does not mean Jeff Hardy was actually a drug dealer, or suspected of being one; it's merely the necessary charge and legal terminology because of the sheer amounts of the substances found. Even with a prescription, a single person is forbidden to have anywhere near 262 Vicodins or 180 Somas, legally. Therefore, in the eyes of the law, that's too much junk to be for personal consumption, and they have to jack things up to Trafficking charges, no matter what Jeff's actual intent for the drugs may have been. And I wouldn't put it past the guy to have intended to eventually use the whole hoarde for himself.

Hardy's bail was set at a cool $125,000, and as of this writing, he had been bailed out by his brother Matt mere moments ago.

For the record: one should not go overboard with wacky theories about this being "a work." In fact, one should not even go underboard with them; any speculation in that direction will only serve to make you look like a giant idiot. Yes, Hardy just signed up for a new reality TV show, and wow, all of a sudden, he sure has something interesting to put on it. And yes, Hardy's last storyline featured CM Punk openly mocking Hardy's past drug use and theorizing that Hardy was just one step away from falling into yet another downward spiral once he (Punk) took his (Hardy's) World Title. But just cuz all that seems to fit doesn't mean this ain't real, people.

Jeff Hardy, more than ever, is a guy who could probably use some help. Here's hoping he goes and finally gets it.

If necessary, this page will be updated (below) with additionaly information about Hardy's situation as it becomes available this weekend. So keep checking back here at OO for the latest.

UPDATE (Friday Evening, 9/11)

The Moore County Sheriff's Office has issued a press release precisely documenting the arrest of Jeff Hardy. It clarifies the above report of opium (seemingly, none was found among the drugs at Hardy's house, yet he still got an opium trafficking charge; NOT good), and lists the exact charges upon which Jeff has been brought up.

The text:

Sheriff Lane Carter reports the arrest of an individual on charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills, and possession of anabolic steroids. Sheriff Carter reported a joint investigation conducted by officers from the Moore County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit, Moore County Sheriff’s Office Select Enforcement Unit, and Fayetteville Police Department led to the arrest.

Officers executed a search warrant at a residence located at [address withheld] near Cameron, North Carolina. During the search officers located and seized approximately 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills (Soma’s are non-controlled prescription pills), 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine, and items of drug paraphernalia. Vicodin and anabolic steroids are included in Schedule III within the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act. The estimated street value of the drugs seized is $2,500.00.

Arrested was:

Jeffrey Nero Hardy, 32 years of age
[address withheld]
Cameron, North Carolina

Jeffrey Nero Hardy was arrested on September 11, 2009 and charged with felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jeffrey Nero Hardy received a $125,000.00 secured bond and was placed in the Moore County Detention Center.

Additonally:

Since being bailed out, Hardy has commented publicly this evening, stating that fans should not believe everything they read, because it's all "exaggerations." Um, I think I'm going to believe what the Moore County Sheriff's Office says, Jeffrey.

But perhaps he's talking about the nature/language of the charges (where he gets busted on "trafficking," based solely on the amount of drugs and not on the intent, and which could give people an "exaggerated" perception of what he's done wrong). That's about the only thing, so far, that seems to apply. And even that's a stretch considering the Opium Twist, where they do not list that among the found substances, but still go with the opium trafficking charge (which seems to imply other evidence NOT related to Jeff's own stash, but to actual dealing or something like that). But who knows for sure just yet?

Jeff also stated that his brother Matt did NOT bail him out, though that's probably a semantic issue over it being Jeff's own money that bailed him out (even if Matt's the one who had to make some sort of arrangement and pick the dude up at jail or whatever).

More updates and relevent info as it becomes available. Unlike other "wrestling journalists," I'll just keep it all here in one place for you, and post it below. No 15 clicks to get 15 paragraphs of information here at OO. You can thank me later. Keep checking back here, kids...

UPDATE (Saturday Afternoon, 9/12)

Just a quick note to clarify last night's blurb... epecially the bit about "opium."

The prevailing theory is that this is another case of semantics, and that Jeff Hardy is not dealing in opium. But vicodin *is* an opiate. So therefore, you bring anal retentive lawyer types into it, and you have to get all the red tape and administrivia done exactly the right way, and somehow it ends up with Jeff Hardy trafficking in "opium."

I'm actually ashamed I didn't at least think of that, but it didn't cross my mind because the Vicodin was already addressed by one of the "Class III Narcotic" felonies. If anything, it now strikes me that hitting Hardy up again with the opium charge on top of that borders on, like, double jeopardy, or something. Getting charged twice for the same thing, just because the aforementioned anal retentive lawyer types have figured out a way to create dense, nonsensical language making that one thing illegal in two difference ways? Lame.

Leave it to the legal system to make me feel almost borderline sympathetic towards a flaky addict like Jeff Hardy. Whatever the case, assuming this is the deal with the opium charge, then Jeff's claims of "exaggerations" suddenly ring quite true. Throw the "vicodin-is-an-opiate" double-whammy on top of the three "trafficking" charges (due to volume to drugs, not necessarily intent to be a drug dealer), and it creates a perception that things are even worse than they really are.

Which is amazing, considering things really are pretty fricking bad. Jeff Hardy had more than triple the number of pain pills any one human being is allowed to have in his possession (even legally, with a prescription), a half liter of steroids, and cocaine in his house. Jeff Hardy was fired once and suspended twice by WWE for drug use. Jeff Hardy was used sparingly and with restraint by TNA, even though they really could have used his star power to drive the company, because absolutely nobody in a company with zero drug policy had any reason to believe Jeff Hardy could be counted on to be anything close to reliable. Jeff Hardy (like I said above) is a guy who could probably use some help.

No matter how "exaggerated" things get with the legal mumbo-jumbo, you strip it all away, and there's still no real good story here. Nothing good at all.

For whatever it's worth, I'll also close by quickly mentioning that a lot of guys in the wrestling business have chimed in about Jeff in their various blogs and whatnot. Everyone has universally said the same thing: that Jeff's a good guy, and whatever the deal is, they'll support him and be there for him, whatever he needs. A few (Matt Hardy chief among them, for obvious reasons) are also parroting the "don't believe what you read, this is all hype and bullshit" line.

But like I said: you strip away the hype, and this is still bad. Here's hoping that as we move forward, we have the majority of Jeff's posse caring less about the "don't believe the hype" part and caring more about the "we got your back, whatever you need" part.

More info/updates as they become available, so keep on check back to OO or to this page, specifically...

UPDATE (Sunday Afternoon, 9/13)

Another very quick update, and AGAIN it has to do with the "Opium Twist."

A reader informed me (and I have confirmed) that if Jeff Hardy is convicted on that Opium Trafficking charge (which I believed to be a superfluous technicality, as discussed above), he will face a mandatory minimum prison term of 3 years in the state of North Carolina. Even as a first-time offender.

Allow me to opine: ouch.

Again, I think the opium trafficking charge really is BS and an "exaggeration"; more a case of legal system double-speak and red tape than a representation of the actual wrong-doing, here. My sense of Judgment is that Jeff Hardy is a screwed up dude: flaky and weird and arteesty, and who gained success early enough in life to develop the financial resources to be a pretty heroic addict. My sense of JUSTICE, however, is that being a fruitcake who likes his pills doesn't make you an "opium trafficker" who will be best served by being in jail for a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 years.

I'm kind of assuming that this is a case where plea bargaining comes into play, as what Jeff is guilty of is pretty scary but it is NOT fairly represented by the charges brought. At least, not insofar as I can tell. Jeff needs to nut up and say "guilty" (and then say "Help me"), but the legal system needs to let him say "guilty" to something that actually bears some resemblance to what he did wrong.

There's enough here to justify a prison term... but probably not 3 years on just one of the six charges. A few token months to just show the guy what awaits him if he doesn't shape up? Sure. But then, the rest of his sentence needs to be aggressive, non-stop testing and rehab and oversight. If Jeff cares: he'll play along and get better. If he doesn't: he'll be in violation of his parole/probation and get his ass sent to jail for 3 or more years and at that point, he'll deserve it.

My own damned opinion, anyway.

Hardy's first court date is Monday, and is largely a procedural matter. Also on Monday, the Moore County Sheriff's Office is expected to issue a more detailed report on the investigation and arrest of Jeffrey Nero Hardy (and additional charges are suppossedly still an alternative). At this point, all we know about the multi-agency bust that happened on Friday (around noon) at Jeff's house is that it was the result of a "tip." A few more details about that, the ensuing investigation, and the final raid would, indeed, be illuminating when it comes to formulating our final opinions of Hardy and his appropriate punishment.

More details here at OO if/when they become available. Keep checking back.

UPDATE (Tuesday Afternoon, 9/15)

Nothing huge today. Just a note that Hardy had a token court appearance yesterday, and has been officially charged with the six count listed above. No additional charges were added (though up until the last second, the sheriff's office was suggesting that they might be).

Hardy's next court date is in two weeks, where he'll enter his plea. I think it's September 30.

For whatever it's worth, the vibe I'm getting right now is that there is an almost zero percent chance that this'll actually go to trial. Rather, the "over-charging" of Hardy is designed to get him to plead guilty to lesser charges, which will be an altogether cheaper and simpler matter for everybody involved.

In fact, our very own Former OO SemiStar Erin Anderson is now in the employ of the State of Georgia's Fortress of Justice as "Field Agent Third Class, Department of Vengeance and Espionage." Or maybe it's not that exciting a job. But she is -- in all sincerety -- now packing a gun and deals with this sort of thing every day. Her Expert Opinion is that these things never go to trial, that Jeff'll be offered the plea bargain, and that (assuming Jeff gets an even half-way decent attorney, which he certainly can afford) it'll be a VERY favorable bargain that he'd be a retard not to take. Erin goes so far as to say that she'd be stunned if Jeff served one day of jail time.

Which doesn't un-do the fact that Jeff is one very sick little puppy, and needs help. It's just that for all the "over-charging" and talk of "minimum mandatory sentencing" and stuff, the reality is that somebody in Jeff's situation rarely gets the book thrown at them. Unless there is a particularly vindictive DA involved, a slap on the wrist is the most common outcome.

Now I'm REALLY torn. Already my Sense of Judgment and Sense of Justice were at war... this just complicates it: which is worse, the idea of Jeff being railroaded by legal-doublespeak and red tape, or the idea of him getting off scot-free? I'm so confused.

But hopefully I'll hone in on a Cogent Opinion on the matter as this develops. Working against Jeff in my personal inventory of thoughts is his track record of unmitigated screwing-up. Working for him is the fact that in all of his screw-ups, HE is the only victim, which makes it hard for me to want to throw the book at him. But I DO want him to get better, and wonder if the justice system can help him. Or if he's un-rehab-able. Or if the truth lies in the middle.

Like I said: Me = Confused.

More info as it becomes available, so keep checking back, folks...

UPDATE (Thursday Afternoon, 9/17)

Just a quick note to report that it appears that Jeff Hardy has secured his legal representation, and has been advised to shut his yapper, as anything he says can and will yadda yadda yadda.

Jeff has declined all interview requests this week, and as of Wednesday, he pulled/deleted all of his online presence, including a blog, myplace, and twitter. Not only is he no longer active, but all archives/past comments have also been taken down.

If figure this is a good idea in two ways: first, it sincerely does close down one possible avenue for a legal nightmare. I'm not even talking about "incriminating himself," either, per the Miranda dealy... or at least, not JUST that. Even by simply misspeaking or "exaggerating" on his own, Hardy could create alternate versions of the same events, and if he doesn't keep 'em straight in his own head when actually testifying under oath, could very easily find himself committing perjury.

Also, even if not under oath, the words he says/types will be seen by everybody, including fans, and will be held against him in the Court Of Public Opinion. And, uhhhh, let's just say Jeff doesn't strike me as the brightest knife in the shed... this is a guy who -- in a promo he was allowed to craft himself -- decided to oppose Mr. StraightEdge CM Punk by proudly declaring "Yeah, I've dealt with my personal demons, but I've never gone to rehab, I just took care of it on my own." Even then, a lot of fans took this as Jeff bragging about something he shouldn't.... and now, in hindsight, it makes that "boast" look even more foolish. Jeff's idea of "taking care of" something, at the very least, appears woefully inadequate.

So now he can't repeat that mistake, either. For the best.

And with that, I think that's the last update I'll put on this page. From here on out, new information will be minor/incremental in nature, and I can just store it up and report it in my usual OO Columns. Obviously, if something major DOES happen, I'll post it as a NewsFlash, but from here on out, I'm thinking talking about Jeff is gonna be a lot of little stories spread out over time mixed in with my own analysis/punditry, which -- as I've indicated above -- I still don't feel real good about. I've not decided how I feel about all this just yet... so it's all the better that I won't have to write about it on this page every day, now.

Keep checking back, though, as this story ain't gonna be going away, even if it does slow down. I'll be covering it as it develops, even if the next major development isn't till 2 weeks from now when Jeff appears in court and enters his plea. See you then, kids...

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Rick Scaia is a wrestling fan from Dayton, OH. He's been doing this since 1995, but enjoyed it best when the suckers from SportsLine were actually PAYING him to be a fan.