A former Ohio University football player, with a burglary charge currently pending, was indicted on drug charges yesterday in Athens County Municipal Court.
Melvin Payne, 21, was arrested Tuesday for the possession of a controlled substance. He was found with 11 and a half Oxycontin 10 mg pills, according to court documents.
Payne was booked at the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. He was released on recognizance after his appearance in court yesterday.
The possession of a controlled substance is a fifth degree felony. It carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in jail and a maximum fine of $2,500, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
Payne has a preliminary hearing for the drug possession charge scheduled for March 11 at 2 p.m.
Payne also has a case currently pending in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas stemming from an incident last spring.
He is charged with burglary after allegedly breaking into a Mill Street home May 29. A resident woke up when a man matching Payne’s description broke into his locked bedroom. Payne fled by running through a glass door, leaving behind a trail of blood, according to court documents.
Payne was treated for his injuries at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital, where he told hospital staff his injuries resulted from being stabbed outside his residence hall, according to court documents.
When Athens Police officers attempted to arrest Payne after he failed to appear in court on a felony charge, they discovered he had left town on a Greyhound bus.
Payne is also charged with aggravated possession of drugs, possession of drugs and falsification in addition to the burglary charge in common pleas court.
He could spend a maximum of 10 years in prison and pay a maximum fine of $18,500 if convicted, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
rs181308@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCity
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