Pennsylvania State Police suspect that former MLB All-Star Lenny Dykstra was found with crack cocaine or methamphetamine during a traffic stop on New Year’s Day, which resulted in his arrest.
Reports indicate Dykstra was in the passenger seat of a 2015 GMC Sierra when he was pulled over just after midnight for a traffic violation. Upon searching the vehicle, police discovered “containers of suspected crack cocaine/methamphetamine and a glass smoking device with what appeared to be drug residue” in the glove compartment.
Interestingly, there were no initial drug tests conducted by officers at the scene, according to some accounts. He now faces misdemeanor charges related to drug possession and paraphernalia.
Dykstra’s attorney, Matthew Britt, asserts that his client is innocent. He stated, “We strongly contend that the drug allegations do not belong to Renee, who is currently recovering from a severe stroke.” Britt insists Dykstra was not knowingly in possession of any drugs at the time and wasn’t under the influence either.
Britt added that the driver of the vehicle had been arrested and charged with multiple offenses, which seems rather different from Dykstra’s situation. The traffic stop took place in Pike County, around 40 miles east of Scranton, where he resides.
Dykstra has a history of legal troubles, including serving time in California for bankruptcy fraud. He was convicted for hiding a baseball glove and other MLB memorabilia and sentenced to over six months in prison.
Additionally, he has pleaded no contest to charges of grand theft auto and was sentenced to three years for filing false financial statements, claiming debts exceeding $31 million while only having $50,000 in assets. The sentences ran concurrently.
In April 2012, Dykstra also pleaded no contest for exposing himself to women he met through Craigslist. Fast forward to 2019, he faced various legal issues, including a conviction for illegally renting out rooms in his New Jersey home, resulting in a fine of about $3,000.
That same year, drug and terroristic threat charges against him were dismissed after an argument with an Uber driver, despite police finding cocaine and MDMA. His lawyer claimed the situation was exaggerated.
Throughout his 12-year MLB career, which began with the New York Mets and concluded with the Philadelphia Phillies, Dykstra was named an All-Star three times.
During his time with the Phillies, he had impressive statistics, leading the National League with 194 hits, 143 runs scored, and 129 walks. He also placed second in MVP voting for the 1993 season.
