Actor Jermaine Hopkins, most famous for his roles as Thomas Sams in the cult classic Lean on Me, and Eric “Steel” Thurman in the 1992 film Juice, was recently busted for marijuana possession with an intent to sell.
According to TMZ, Hopkins was stopped by law enforcement in Apex, North Carolina last week for doing 70 in a 55 MPH zone. After getting pulled over, the cops found close to six pounds of marijuana in his trunk—5.7 pounds to be exact.
Hopkins was subsequently arrested for felony drug possession with the intent to sell, and he was hit with a speeding ticket for his lesser transgression.
He was later released on $3,000 bond.
Prior Arrest
This isn’t’ the first time Hopkins has been indicted for a cannabis-related incident.
Back in December of 2011, the actor was arrested for attempting to buy over 200 pounds of cannabis from an undercover cop.
Hopkins was charged with two felony counts of possessing, transporting and attempting to sell marijuana.
According to police at the time, Hopkins was part of a sting operation set up in Arizona. Hopkins is from North Carolina but traveled all the way to Arizona to facilitate the deal.
After Hopkins gained possession of the bud, he was subsequently pulled over and arrested. Law enforcement said they found up to $100K in cash in his vehicle, along with an additional 100 pounds of the other green stuff.
Hopkins originally faced up to five years in prison following the arrest, but only ended up with a 30-day sentence, along with three years of probation.
Final Hit: ‘Lean on Me’ Star Busted with Several Pounds of Weed in Car
Although 5.7 pounds of bud seems like a shit-ton, it clearly pales in comparison to Hopkins’ prior weed-related run-in.
Unfortunately for Hopkins, North Carolina is still behind the times when it comes to cannabis policy, with both recreational and medicinal marijuana remaining illegal in the state.
One silver lining for Hopkins is that North Carolina has decriminalized petty possession. The bad news, however, is 5.7 pounds clearly doesn’t’ fall under the “petty” category.
There’s been no word from Hopkins or his representatives following the incident, so it is unclear whether or not the actor faces additional jail time.
Say it ain’t so, Steel.
