Chicago Bear Wide Receiver, Sam Hurd arrested for drug charges

Former Dallas Cowboy (now Chicago Bear) wide receiver, Sam Hurd has been arrested in Chicago on federal drug charges this week. ESPN reports:

Hurd, 26, was arrested by undercover agents at a Chicago area steakhouse Wednesday night and was due to appear Thursday in federal court to face a charge that he did "possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more" of cocaine.

"We are aware of Sam's arrest and are continuing to gather details surrounding it," the Bears said in a statement. "We are disappointed whenever these circumstances arise. We will deal with them appropriately once we have all the information."

The NFL also is looking into the arrest, according to league spokesman Greg Aiello.

Hurd's agent Ian Greengross did not return calls seeking comment.

The investigation into Hurd's attempt to buy large amounts of cocaine and marijuana began in July 2011, when he was still a member of the Dallas Cowboys, and concluded when he personally met with an undercover agent Wednesday at Morton's The Steakhouse in Rosemont.

At that meeting, Hurd told the informant that he wanted to buy "five to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week for distribution in the Chicago area," according to the complaint.

Hurd allegedly negotiated to pay $25,000 per kilogram for the cocaine and $450 per pound for the marijuana. The complaint says that Hurd "further stated that he and another co-conspirator currently distribute four kilograms of cocaine per week in the Chicago area, but that the supplier could not supply him with enough quantity."

After they agreed on a price, the undercover agent gave Hurd a kilogram of cocaine, according to the complaint. Hurd told the agent that he plays for the Bears and would get out of practice at 5:30 p.m., at which time he would make arrangements to pay for the drugs. According to the complaint, Hurd then took the drugs and got in his car. He was promptly arrested.

Hurd hit authorities' radar in July, when a confidential informant told police that a man was attempting to obtain four kilograms of cocaine for an unknown buyer in the Dallas area. That man was later stopped by police with $88,000 in a canvas bag. He said that the car and the money belonged to Hurd. Police confiscated the money, and Hurd later contacted authorities trying to get the money back.

Hurd was interviewed by police and admitted that he owned the car and had taken the money out of the bank, but authorities found that bank records did not match the amount.

Then in August, text messages and cellular phone records from a number used by Hurd showed up in relation to four individuals who were detained in California with currency, narcotics and weapons. The complaint states that the text message content "appeared to be consistent with narcotics trafficking and possible money laundering."

In December, the confidential informant told the co-conspirator that he would have to meet Hurd to "discuss future business." That led to the meeting in Chicago Wednesday, at which Hurd told the agent that his associate handles the majority of deals while he was involved in the "higher-end" deals.

It is also believed that Hurd's clientele includes a number of current NFL players. So stay tuned as details become more available.