Patriots' Patrick Chung indicted on cocaine possession charge

Bob Hille

Patriots' Patrick Chung indicted on cocaine possession charge image

Patriots safety Patrick Chung has been indicted by a New Hampshire grand jury on a cocaine possession charge (via the Laconia (N.H.) Daily Sun).

The Belknap County grand jury handed up the indictment against Chung, who turned 32 on Monday, among several others from its latest session. The alleged offense — that he "knowingly possessed cocaine" — happened in late June in Meredith, New Hampshire, according to WCVB.com. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 28.

Possession of cocaine is a Class B felony in New Hampshire and carries a fine of up to $2,000 and a potential prison term of up to seven years.

The Daily Sun's report notes that "(a)n indictment is not an indication of guilt. Rather it is a finding that enough evidence of an alleged crime exists to warrant bringing the matter to trial."

According to Yahoo Sports, Chung has a residence in Meredith, about a 2 1/2-hour drive from Foxborough, Massachusetts, where the Patriots are headquartered.

Even if he is found not guilty of the charge, he could face disciplinary action from the NFL, based on the league's personal conduct policy.

A team captain, Chung was not at practice Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported. The Patriots face the Panthers at home Thursday in Week 3 of the NFL preseason.

As of noon ET Thursday, the Patriots had not commented on the reported indictment.

The team's starting strong safety, Chung has been wearing a red non-contact jersey in training camp as he recovers from offseason shoulder surgery. He suffered a broken arm in the third quarter of Super Bowl 53.

Taken by New England in the second round of the 2009 draft, Chung, who has played for the Patriots for nine of his 10 NFL seasons, has been part of four Super Bowl teams and three championship victories over the past five seasons. He spent the 2013 season with the Eagles.

He has 723 combined tackles and 11 interceptions in his NFL career.

Chung signed a three-year, $11.7 million contract with the Patriots this offseason (per Spotrac.com), including a $4 million signing bonus, $5.1 million guaranteed and an average annual value of $3.9 million.

Bob Hille

Bob Hille Photo

Bob Hille, a senior content consultant for The Sporting News, has been part of the TSN team for most of the past 30 years, including as managing editor and executive editor. He is a native of Texas (forever), adopted son of Colorado, where he graduated from Colorado State, and longtime fan of “Bull Durham” (h/t Annie Savoy for The Sporting News mention).