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December 11, 2012

Hearing date set in athlete’s drug case

By John Shinn The Norman Transcript

NORMAN — An Oklahoma football player will appear in Cleveland County court next week on a felony drug charge.

OU cornerback Joe Powell has a preliminary conference scheduled for Dec. 18 on one felony charge of unlawful possession of controlled drug with intent to distribute.

Powell was arrested on Oct. 8 after Norman Police linked the 21-year-old to a FedEx package from California that contained four pounds of marijuana.

An OU spokesman said Powell has been suspended from the team since the arrest.

According to the warrant request filed on Oct. 7, Norman Police Special Investigators Division conducted a controlled delivery of four pounds of “high grade” marijuana to Powell.

Detectives said in an affidavit that they believed Powell had been expecting the drugs to be delivered from California via a FedEx package and that Powell had arranged for the drugs to be taken to a subject’s house. Once the package was delivered, Powell arranged for another person to pick up the package and bring it to him at apartment at 1111 Oaktree Ave., according to the affidavit.

Police surveillance and arrest teams witnessed Powell receive the package on Oct. 8. Powell hid the package on the apartment complex grounds, according to the court document.

When confronted by police, Powell admitted he knew the package contained marijuana and showed police where he had put the package, according to the court document.

Powell said he only got a “little bit of money or marijuana to give to ‘the girls’ for doing this.”

Powell was released at the scene, pending formal charges. He was formally charged on Oct. 18 and posted a $1,000 bond.

Powell has not played for the Sooners this season. The Dallas junior switched to defensive back after spending his first two seasons at wide receiver.

He is the third Sooner player to face legal issues over marijuana. On Dec. 3, wide receiver Jalen Saunders and defensive back Cortez Johnson both were charged with a misdemeanor for marijuana possession.

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