Patriots player charged with drug possession ordered to perform community service
By Globe Staff
New England Patriots player Willie Andrews, who was allegedly found with a half pound of marijuana and more than $6,800 in cash during a traffic stop in Lowell in February, has been ordered by a judge to perform community service and complete a substance abuse treatment program.
Lowell District Court Judge Neil Walker ordered Andrews's case continued without a finding for a year, which means that if he complies with conditions set by the judge for that period the charges will be dropped, the Middlesex district attorney's office said today.
Andrews, 24, who was charged with possession of a Class D substance, will have to perform 100 hours of community service by speaking to Lowell student-athletes about the dangers of narcotics, pay a $1,000 fine, and complete an NFL substance abuse treatment program. If Andrews leaves the league, he must report to probation and submit to drug testing, prosecutors said in a statement.
The hard-hitting special teams player was arrested Feb. 5 on Duren Avenue in Lowell after officers pulled over a vehicle and smelled what they believed was a strong odor of marijuana.
Patriots spokesman Stacey James didn't immediately return a message seeking comment.
February's incident wasn't the first brush with the law for Andrews. In 2002, he was arrested and charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon. Already on probation for criminal mischief at the time, he served 30 days in jail before starting his freshman year at Baylor University in Texas.
He seemed to rebound in college, staying out of trouble, setting multiple school records as a return specialist, and starting every game his final three seasons there. He was an All-American candidate in 2004. He was a seventh-round draft pick for the Patriots in 2006.
