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CHICAGO — Chicago Bears wide receiver Sam Hurd was in federal custody Thursday, charged with trying to set up a drug-dealing network after authorities arrested him with a kilogram of cocaine during a sting.
Hurd was arrested Wednesday night after meeting with an undercover agent at a Chicago restaurant, according to a criminal complaint that says the player was first identified as a potential drug dealer over the summer as the NFL lockout was coming to an end.
Hurd told the agent that he was interested in buying five to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week to distribute in the Chicago area, the complaint said. He allegedly said he and a co-conspirator already distribute about four kilos of cocaine every week, but their supplier couldn’t keep up with his demands.
Hurd told the agent “his co-conspirator is in charge of doing the majority of the deals” while he focused on “higher-end deals,” the complaint said. He agreed to pay $25,000 for each kilogram of cocaine and $450 a pound for the marijuana, according to the charges, and then said he could pay for a kilo of cocaine after “he gets out of practice.” He walked out of the restaurant with the package and was arrested.
The criminal complaint was filed in Texas, where the U.S. attorney said Hurd faced up to 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine if convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute more than 500 grams, or half a kilogram, of cocaine.
Hurd was scheduled to make his initial court appearance later Thursday. It wasn’t immediately known whether he had an attorney and his agent, Ian Greengross, did not return messages. The NFL said it was looking into the incident while the NFL Players Association declined to comment.
Coach Lovie Smith said the arrest was a disappointment and a “total surprise,” adding that Hurd was still a member of the Bears for now.
“Sam wasn’t in meetings this morning and that’s how from there of course we started searching trying to find out why a player wouldn’t be here,” Smith said. “There was no tipoff, didn’t know it was coming.”
Smith said there was no reason to believe Hurd had problems when the Bears signed him before the season.
“No issues, no reason. I’m in shock over it. I never saw it coming,” Smith said. “But just like I think I know most of you, you don’t really know what people do once you’re not with them. But I know that anyone we bring through here, we’ve had an extensive search to find out everything, if there is something out there, and that wasn’t the case. There was nothing we knew about Sam.”
Hurd, a 26-year-old native of San Antonio who played college ball at Northern Illinois, played for five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and is in his first season with the Bears. He has contributed mostly on special teams, playing in 77 games overall with six starts and two career touchdowns. He has played in 12 games this year, catching eight passes for 109 yards.
The complaint says an informant tipped off authorities in Texas in July, leading to an investigation in which an unidentified acquaintance of Hurd’s “negotiated” for approximately five kilograms of cocaine on the player’s behalf. The acquaintance wanted to buy the drugs quickly to take it to a “northern destination that same day,” the complaint said.
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