GRIFFIN, Ga. -- New England Patriots defensive lineman Johnathan Sullivan faces several charges, including possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, after being stopped while driving through this city south of Atlanta, police said.
Sullivan, 25, was stopped by a police officer just before 4 a.m. on Sunday after he ran two stop signs, a police report said.
When he approached the vehicle, the officer noted that Sullivan and his passenger, Tamarco Clemons, 24, were not wearing their
seatbelts, the report said. He also noticed a small bag containing
"a green leafy substance that appeared to be marijuana."
The officer asked if there were any weapons in the car, and Sullivan gave him a handgun. The two men were asked to exit the vehicle so the officer could search it. When asked if the bag belonged to either of them, both men said no, according to the report.
The report said Sullivan was charged with a seatbelt violation, running the stop signs, playing loud music and possession of less
than an ounce of marijuana.
Sullivan was a 2003 first-round draft pick for the New Orleans Saints from Georgia, and was traded to the Patriots earlier this month.
Clemons was charged with not wearing his seatbelt and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana.
The men were released on bond Sunday and are scheduled to appear in court on July 20, said a spokeswoman for the Griffin Police Department.