The summer of the Miam Heat is really heating up after the recent arrest of power forward and hometown hero Udonis Haslem.
Now his attorney is claiming the arrest is more Heat haterade and that his client was arrested despite the police being repeatedly told the marijuana found in his ride wasn't his.
Reached by phone, Haslem's attorney, Eric Schwartzreich, said his client is innocent and that he's being treated unfairly because of who he is. He said Haslem didn't know the bag of pot was under his seat.
"Udonis Haslem has not committed any crime, he has not broken any law," said Schwartzreich. "The passenger in his vehicle has admitted that it is his marijuana, the marijuana was found in a bag with the passenger's name and identification in it.
"Udonis Haslem did not know it was in the vehicle and I'm confident that he'll be vindicated of all charges and all accusations."
The Florida Highway Patrol is holding firm of the arrest of Udonis Haslem on felony drug possession charges despite the Heat star's claim that the drugs found in his car weren't his.
Haslem, 30 was arrested Sunday after he was caught speeding on the Gratigny Parkway just after 3 p.m. in his 2008 Mercedes. A search of the car turned up a bag of marijuana under the driver's seat and a handgun in the glove compartment, according to the FHP. A second bag of pot was found near the passenger.
Antwain Fleming, a passenger in Haslem's car, told the highway patrol the marijuana was his, but both men were arrested and the car was impounded.
An arrest report released Monday stated that the arresting officer smelled the weed and "freshly sprayed cologne" when he ordered Haslem to lower his tinted windows.
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Haslem and Fleming both told the officer that there was nothing illegal in the car, but after a K-9 sniffed out a black case with three plastic containers containing weed under the driver's seat of the car, stories began to change it appears, according to the arrest report.
Fleming later told police all the drugs belonged to him.
Haslem is charged with possessing more than 20 grams of marijuana, a third-degree felony carrying maximum penalties of a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison. Fleming was charged with possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana, a first-degree misdemeanor that carries sentences up to a $1,000 fine and one year in prison.
Haslem bonded out of jail late Sunday and left without talking to reporters.
In a statement, the FHP said it supports the arrest.
"It's still an open investigation at this point and we stand by the trooper's arrest report," said FHP spokesman Mark Wysocky.
