POINSETT COUNTY, Ark. (WMC) – Former Memphis Grizzlies player Tony Allen is pleading not guilty to drug charges stemming from a traffic stop in November.
Documents filed in Poinsett County Circuit Court show that Allen, 43, waived his arraignment and entered a not-guilty plea on Wednesday.
He is set to reappear in court on February 2, 2026.
The former NBA star was arrested Wednesday, November 5, while on the way to Jonesboro for a podcast. According to the Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office, deputies pulled over a silver car on I-555 for an improper lane change.
The driver was identified as William Hatton. Allen was the only passenger.
Former Memphis Grizzlies player Tony Allen and his companion, William Hatton (right) were arrested during a traffic stop in Poinsett County, authorities said.(Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office)
Deputies searched the two men because the car’s interior gave off an odor of marijuana.
Allen allegedly had weed on his person. Deputies also reported finding various drug paraphernalia containing marijuana, which Hatton confessed was his.
A search of the vehicle revealed a cigarette box in Allen’s passenger seat with a white powdery substance that later tested positive for cocaine, Sheriff Kevin Molder said.
Both men are charged with possession of meth or cocaine (less than 2 grams) and possession of marijuana (less than 4 ounces). Hatton faces additional charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and improper lane change.
Both have since bonded out of the Poinsett County Jail.
The Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office released the bodycam video of the arrest of former Memphis Grizzly Tony Allen and William Hatton.
Allen denied ever using cocaine in a statement posted to social media.
“I understand the optics of this situation are not favorable,” Allen wrote in a statement. “However, I have worked diligently throughout my career to honor my commitments; particularly to the youth I mentor and the community I serve. This incident does not diminish my dedication to that work, and I remain committed to being a positive force and leader.”
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