A felony gun charge was dropped against Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Justin Layne following his arrest last month in a traffic stop in Willoughby Hills, Ohio.
He took a plea deal in the case on Wednesday, pleading guilty to misdemeanor possessing criminal tools in Willoughby Municipal Court, ESPN reported. He received six months of probation, 32 hours of community service, a $500 fine and an order to pay court costs.
He was arrested on suspicion of felony transportation of a firearm inside a vehicle, according to the police report issued at the time of his arrest on April 23. He also was charged with misdemeanor driving with a suspended license and speeding.
Read More: Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Justin Layne arrested on multiple charges
Police said Layne was pulled over about 1:20 a.m. that day as he headed east on Interstate 90, driving his Dodge Charger at 89 mph in a 60-mph zone.
Layne identified himself as a member of the Steelers, and when police did a records check, they found he was driving on a suspended license and had an outstanding arrest warrant in another jurisdiction for failure to appear on a traffic violation.
Officers conducted a probable cause search of the Charger when they smelled marijuana, according to the report. At that time, police found a loaded Glock 9mm pistol and said he isn’t licensed to carry a concealed weapon in Ohio.
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He also was ordered to surrender the gun.
The Steelers selected Layne, a Cleveland native who played at Michigan State, in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In two seasons, he’s appeared in 26 games (no starts) and made 25 tackles.
Layne, 23, played 57 percent of the team’s snaps on special teams and 11 percent on defense in 2020.
–Field Level Media