IRVIN INDICTED ON FELONY DRUG CHARGE

DENTON, Texas - Former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin was
indicted Thursday on a felony charge of possessing less than a gram of
cocaine stemming from an arrest last summer.

The charge carries a penalty from six months to two years in jail and
up to a $10,000 fine, said Lee Ann Breading, assistant district
attorney in Denton County.

Irvin was arrested Aug. 9 at a North Dallas apartment where law
officers said they found marijuana and other drugs. Irvin had
completed probation on a no-contest plea to felony cocaine possession
less than two months earlier.

Irvin's attorney, Howard Shapiro, said he was surprised by the timing
of the indictment.

"Why did it take 10 months for this case to get to the grand jury."
Shapiro said at a news conference. "What evidence exists now that
didn't exist 10 months ago. I think this is overaggressive,
overzealous prosecution."

Shapiro said Irvin, who was not at the news conference, planned to
plead innocent and would request a jury trial.

FBI spokeswoman Lori Bailey said the case evolved after officers with
the Collin-Denton County Drug Task Force, of which the FBI is a part,
attempted to arrest Rhonda Adaham on a federal warrant at her apartment.

Adaham was not there, but her sister, Nelly Adaham, and Irvin were
found and arrested. Nelly Adaham was indicted on the same charge as
Irvin, but Rhonda Adaham was not indicted, Breading said.

Breading couldn't comment on specific evidence presented to the grand
jury, nor would she discuss the nature of the arrest, why Irvin was at
the apartment, or how he knew the women.

Authorities said they found less than 2 ounces of marijuana along with
ecstasy pills. Irvin was not charged after the arrest.

Breading said they didn't receive the case until February, and further
investigating and additional laboratory testing took several months.

She also said a key Plano officer involved in the investigation was
injured in a motorcycle accident in March and wasn't available until
earlier this month.